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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29514504">Days Gone By</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Half_Siren/pseuds/Half_Siren'>Half_Siren</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Owl House (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 03:08:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>69,238</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29514504</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Half_Siren/pseuds/Half_Siren</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Luz Noceda, Private Eye</p>
<p>A small detective story inspired by my love for The Dresden Files.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Amity Blight/Luz Noceda</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>123</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>She corrected the framed license she hung on the wall adorned with chipped green paint, the license a testament of her new life about to begin. Huffing from a tinge of exhaustion from hauling a few additional pieces of furniture into her new office, she was finally able to admire her surroundings. It certainly wasn't much, but it was all hers. She eyed the door that displayed the words she'd long wanted to see </p>
<p>Luz Noceda: Private Eye </p>
<p>  She was the only non-magical private eye in the entire city of Bonesborough, and while she didn't have much in the ways of competition, she still wasn't going to be the first on the list for most people. To build a reputation in such a big city was either going to take a significantly long time, or a stroke of luck. </p>
<p>She sat down at her brand new desk and took a peek at the ad she had taken out in the local paper which perfectly captured what she wanted to get across </p>
<p>        Luz Noceda: Private Investigator<br/>
            Missing persons, items, and<br/>
             Pets, found in record time </p>
<p>  The address and phone number provided underneath could've been bigger, but complaining about it now won't get the papers reprinted. As she set the paper down, she wondered how long it would take to get her first client. </p>
<p>  Unfortunately, Luz was about to discover that it's not going to before her first day was officially over. After eight hours of waiting by the phone, she heaved a sigh and was about to get up and start her walk home, when the phone rang. She snapped to pick it up as fast as she could, this could be it! </p>
<p>  "Luz Nocera, Private Eye!" She called out excitedly. </p>
<p>  "Luz bebé!" It was her mother. While she was still excited to talk to her mom, she deflated a little at the fact that it wasn't a potential client.<br/>
 <br/>
  "Hi mami," she responded, half-defeated. Why had she called her on her work phone instead of her cell? </p>
<p>  "I saw your ad in the paper and I had to call to say how proud of you I am, mija. I know it's only your first day, so I wanted to make sure you weren't being too hard on yourself." Her mom was being a true support system in her life, and her initial defeat quickly faded at hearing her mothers encouraging words. </p>
<p>  "Thank you, I'm trying to stay positive, but what if no one wants to hire me because I can't do magic?" She had pondered on that question for years, always worried about if it was a true fear or not. </p>
<p>  "Oh Luz, most people don't hire PI's for their magic, they hire them for their skills. You just have to make a name for yourself and you'll be bu-" The sound of another call coming in cut her off momentarily. </p>
<p>  "Uh, mami I'll have to call you back," she said as she clicked the phone over to the other caller calling in. "Luz Noceda, Private Eye." </p>
<p>  "This is Detective Eda Clawthorne of the Bonesborough PD, we're in need of an investigator, and you being a human might be able to aid us in our case." She sounded serious, like a woman of age who had seen her fair share of atrocities. But Luz could only think of how great of a stroke of luck this was! Her first day and getting hired by the police! Her enthusiasm didn't waver when she responded. </p>
<p>  "Of course! I'd be happy to help! What kind of case are we looking at?" Her enthusiasm was promptly met with a tinge of regret almost immediately. </p>
<p>  "I like your moxy kid, but maybe save it for a lighter case. There's been a string of murders lately, all humans, likely the work of a serial killer based on the MO." Danger, this was what Luz signed up for! Well, not exactly, but it was still exciting all the same! </p>
<p>  "That sounds serious, are you able to give me any details over the phone or should I come down to the station?" To this, Eda gave a slight chuckle. What could be funny about this? </p>
<p>  "Well kid, we were hoping you'd be able to come down to a crime scene right now." She had a sense of urgency to her voice, letting Luz know this was going to need an answer now. She pondered for a moment, on one hand, this could be dangerous work, and could potentially make her a target for whoever is doing the killing. On the other hand, it was guaranteed pay and she could potentially be brought back in by the PD in the future. </p>
<p>  "So, should I just stop by the station after I leave the scene to give my hourly and retainer information or should I just give it to you now?" Luz had made up her mind, this was too good of an opportunity to pass up. A quiet fear began to creep into her mind, but she pushed it down, knowing she had to do this. </p>
<p>  "I'll take you down to the station afterwards and we'll put you on the payroll. Address is 848 Bramble way, do you need us to send a car to get you?" Luz checked the address, and seeing that it was only 4 blocks from her office made her a little nervous. </p>
<p>  "I can be there in 10 or less," Luz called back with determination. This earned another chuckle from the detective. </p>
<p>  "Good, good, don't be late, kid," and with that, she hung up. Luz put down the phone and paused for a second before excitedly jumping up and down. How lucky could she be? She had to let her mom know on her way there. She grabbed her coat to protect her from the chilled autumn wind, and ran out the door, calling her mom as she walked and gave her the story. </p>
<p>  Luz arrived after a brief, brisk walk to the address, to see several police cars outside,  and several people casing the scene. She tentatively approached the residence, license indicating who she was in her hand and ready to go. As she approached the police tape sectioning off the residence, an officer stopped her. </p>
<p>  "Ma'am this is a crime scene, you're gonna have to back up," he said holding up a hand to her. </p>
<p>  "Oh uh," Luz stammered as she held up her license. "I'm Luz Noceda, PI, I was requested by Eda Clawthorne?" She was sure this the right place. He took her license and inspected it before giving her an acknowledging nod before handing it back to her. He lifted the tape for her, where she was escorted by another officer inside. Luz was wholly unprepared. Blood stained the floor, the ceiling, and in every wall of the immediate room. Alarms of regret immediately began ringing in her head, and she pondered on bolting out the door that instant when an older lady in uniform, albeit a bit disheveled, approached her. </p>
<p>  "Ah, you must be Luz. Sorry for the short notice, but our last PI dipped, something about not being able to handle being involved in this kind of work. So let's hope you work out!" She gave Luz's shoulder a firm pat and began leading her through the room. "You aren't squeamish are you?" She asked nonchalantly. I mean how could it get worse than what she's already seen? </p>
<p>It got worse </p>
<p>Much. Worse. </p>
<p>Eda led her into a kitchen area of the house and Luz saw, for the first time in her life, a real dead body. The corpse had been eviscerated, with what looked like little regard for the state of the house. Anything on the inside of the body had been pulled out, and from the looks of it, while they were still alive. Luz smiled sheepishly to Eda before sprinting past her and out a back door, promptly emptying the contents of her stomach over an old banister into a bush. Luz was, to say the least, unprepared. </p>
<p>She stepped back in shortly after collecting herself, and leaned against the kitchen counter to keep herself from fainting. Eda simply raised an eyebrow at her. </p>
<p>  "I'm good, peachy, never been better," Luz lied terribly. Eda just rolled her eyes and walked over to stand next to her. </p>
<p>  "Kid I'm not gonna lie, this killer has been thorough. No prints, no marks, hell not even a partial boot print, we have nothing to go on aside from their MO. They wholly and completely gut everyone of their victims, like they're exacting revenge on them specifically. But so far every suspect has seemed to be clean and give no reason for this kind of act. We suspect it's a witch since every victim was human, we're thinking a hate crime. Luz examined the body the best her stomach would allow her, and noticed something curious. There was no sign of magic on them at all. </p>
<p>  "I don't think it was. If it was a witch, they'd have trace remnants of magic from the culprit, but this person is clean, like the person who did it was another human. Humans have certain magical potential, but I'm not feeling anything on this person, almost like.." </p>
<p>  "Like it was stolen from them?" Eda asked. Luz nodded and Eda put a finger to her chin, seeming to ponder on the thought. "Kid that's a good point, but how were you able to tell that? I didn't think humans could sense magic." She was inquisitive, and rightfully so. Luz was always told she had a gift, being able to sense magic as a human was a rare case indeed, and it was part of the reason she wanted to become an investigator. A talent that most other humans don't have makes it an invaluable skill, even more so in a situation like this. </p>
<p>  "I was born with it, I had always hoped to one day learn magic, but I haven't found a way yet. So for now I'm doing this, and apparently rather well!" Luz chirped, though she was standing in a grim situation, being able to help in anyway she could was the one benefit to all of this. Eda just gave a small smile at Luz's enthusiasm, seeming to get lost in thought for a moment. Luz could feel herself wavering at the strong iron smell in the air and clutched her mouth before running back outside to vomit once more. This brought Eda out of her thoughts and she followed her out of the house. </p>
<p>  "You're not gonna give up, are you kid?" Eda leaned on the banister next to Luz, who was stilling her dry heaving and trying to pull herself together. She just looked up at Eda, tears cresting the corners of her eyes, and simply shook her head before continuing to heave over the banister. Eda just smiled and shook her head, seeming impressed at Luz's determination. Luz was not what she had imagined. She was smaller, maybe five feet, six inches in height, and was thinner, though she seemed to be primarily lean muscle. Tanned skin with few blemishes with shorter brown hair, cut just below what a pixie cut might be, and with eyes just as dark. To someone of Eda's age, she was just a child, though she'd never outwardly admit it. </p>
<p>  "Detective, how do you deal with it? All of that I mean?" Luz asked quietly, catching her breath from her episode. Eda laughed, much louder than before, like Luz had told her the joke of the century. </p>
<p>  "I did the same thing you did a long time ago, I've just seen enough bodies at this point that it doesn't phase me as much. I won't say you'll get used to it, because no one ever does. Hell, Jerbo who you met at the front cried his first time, poor sap. But you gotta stay strong, and from looking at you, I don't think that's gonna be hard. You got guts kid, I think you're just what we need to blow this case open." Luz got the impression that she was the mom of the precinct. Making sure people didn't get discouraged and packing and extra lunch in case someone forgot theirs. Luz smiled at the thought, momma Eda, this made Luz laugh a bit before turning back to look inside the house. </p>
<p>  "So how many victims have there been so far?" She was gonna do this. She was determined to crack this case. For the families of those who were taken, and to prove her salt in this cutthroat city. </p>
<p>  "Eight that we've discovered so far, and that's just been this month alone. This killer works quick, far quicker than anyone we've dealt with in the past. They're also not trying to hide the bodies like they want them discovered." Eda seemed to trail off at the end as she looked back inside at the team currently collecting samples. </p>
<p>  "They're sending a message. This is a game to them." Luz was stern, she had a feeling, a hunch that she needed to go off of. Everything inside her was screaming that she shouldn't get involved, but she had to do what's right. "Can you take me to the precinct and show me the other cases?" She inquired, to which Eda just smirked at her. </p>
<p>  "Tired of being around the body already?" She laughed as she lightly slapped Luz's back, which made Luz jerk forward and return Eda's laugh with an awkward grin. "I'm just messing with you kid, let's get out of here before you ruin the bushes anymore." </p>
<p>  She led Luz back through the house and stopped to talk to the man at the front of the house by the police tape, who Luz could now put a name to a face. Jerbo, he didn't look much older than her, which was good to see that she wasn't the only one that was going into this situation as a squeamish mess. Eda motioned for her to follow her through the tape and over to a squad car, lights still flashing. Luz took the offer of climbing into the passengers side and Eda situated herself behind the wheel, and Luz determined this was Eda's vehicle and not just one of the general precinct cars based on her not needing to readjust the seat or mirrors. Eda flicked off the lights and took off down the road, and Luz couldn't help but feel a twinge of apprehension growing in her stomach. </p>
<p>  A feeling that she may be in way over her head.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Luz stepped out of the squad car after Eda had parked and looked up at the precinct, being far bigger than she remembered. The building was old, with ornate pillars and marble statues of a monster she was unfamiliar with on either side of the steps leading up to the building. Eda got out of the car and immediately started up the steps after slamming her door shut. Luz shut her own door and hurried to fall in line behind Eda, not wanting to make the woman wait for her. As they walked through the big revolving door at the front, Luz was amazed at how immaculate the interior was. </p>
<p>  White marble floor gave the entire front lobby an almost ethereal look, smooth as if they'd been polished just minutes ago. The front desk area which Luz presumed was used for booking was entirely out of place, being of an old wood, light brown and with a black portion jutting out presumably for filling out paperwork. Luz followed Eda past the desk, simply giving a 'she's with me' to the person on the other side who nodded back and didn't ask questions. Luz looked around as they walked and noticed that everyone was busy with something. No one seemed to be relaxed in the slightest and even more so, everyone seemed stressed. </p>
<p>  "This case has everyone on edge, huh?" Luz asked Eda as she led Luz to an office. She saw Eda's name on the door when walking in so it was a clear indicator who's office it was. </p>
<p>  "Well wouldn't you be? Eight dead in a month from one killer is sure to spell bad news." Luz did give a quick thought to the fact that all the victims were just like her: human. She shuddered at the thought of being a victim to such a deranged murderer, and decided she wouldn't let this distract her, at least, not for now. Eda began pulling case files from her desk as Luz was peeking around the room. A picture caught her eye on Eda's desk. It looked to be her, a lot younger with presumably a sister around the same age, Both in uniform. Eda's hair was a vibrant orange, with the other woman's appearing darker, closer to a red. Both were beaming, a big, bright smile on their faces and a carefree attitude about them. Luz had a moment of realization that she was staring at that picture for longer than she expected and upon looking back at Eda, realized that the older woman was already staring back at her. </p>
<p>  "S-sorry, I got distracted," Luz stammered out, and Eda just glanced down at the photo on her desk. </p>
<p>  "It's alright, that's just my sister, Lilith. Her and I used to work together, before she left for a better position at a different precinct. Couldn't blame her, though I certainly don't envy her. More pressure and more work is not for me!" Eda laughed as she threw down a stack of folders on her desk. "Well kid, here's everything we have. For obvious reasons you can't take the files, but I can see about making you some copies. Go ahead and take a peek while I go get clearance. Also give me your payment information, we gotta see about setting you up on payroll too." To be honest, Luz had almost forgotten about getting paid, though the grumbling in her stomach definitely indicated that she needed the money for food. Luz grabbed her wallet and pulled out a laminated card she had the foresight to make just incase something like this came up. </p>
<p>Hourly rate: $70 </p>
<p>Retainer fee: $1500 </p>
<p>See other side for deposit details. </p>
<p>  She handed the card to Eda and smiled at her, not letting on how distracted she was due to her current hunger situation. Eda looked at the card, seeming to give a look of approval as she looked it over. Eda then left the room, leaving Luz to the files and her growing hunger pains. She picked up the first file she found and a chill ran up her spine. It was an old high school classmate, the same age as her. What makes it even worse is that it was at a residence about a half of a mile from her mother's house. She was already on edge but this solidified that maybe she should stay with her mom for a bit until this case was solved.

  The file indicated that the victim met the same fate as the one she had seen, but she wouldn't be able to tell if their potential was stolen unless she saw the body. Which sounds like a job for tomorrow Luz. As she was looking through the files she noticed something off about the way each victim was cut open. They were clean, surgical almost. Whoever was doing this, was a professional, or was using means to make it appear they were. So, a human who can steal magical potential, and who can cut up a victim with surgical precision. This is starting to sound more worrying by the minute. </p>
<p>  "Hey kid, good news and more good news. I've made copies of the files, and your retainer fee has already been wired to you, just send us a bill whenever you need it." Eda was quite pleased with herself as she handed Luz a large Manila folder with the documents in it. Luz gave her a bright smile, happily receiving the news. </p>
<p>  "This is amazing! Thank you Eda!" As if by design, she sprang up and hugged her, taking the older woman by surprise. </p>
<p>  "Yeah, yeah, just do a good job for us and we'll keep you on payroll, I wouldn't mind getting to see your optimistic face some more." She returned Luz's bubbly smile with a tired smirk, and Luz could tell that Eda just couldn't match her own enthusiasm. </p>
<p>  "I won't let you down!" Luz declared with renewed vigor, ready to prove to everyone she's capable of handling the toughest of the tough. </p>
<p>  "I have a feeling you wouldn't. Now, you need a ride home? It's getting late and I noticed you didn't have a vehicle." Yeah, Eda was definitely the protective mom type. </p>
<p>  "Actually yeah, if you wouldn't mind, I wanted to check on my mami to make sure she's doing alright." Luz replied warmly, to which Eda just chuckled. </p>
<p>  "Alright, let's get you home, I'm almost off the clock anyway and today has me drained." Eda sighed as she walked out the door, Luz falling in line right behind, paperwork under one arm. As they were exiting the building, a black haired woman was just about to start up the steps when she noticed Eda. </p>
<p>  "Oh hey Eda! Training a newbie?" She called out? She seemed to have a bubbly disposition, not too far from Luz's. Her bespectacled face met Luz and Luz just gave her a big smile. </p>
<p>  "Actually this is our new PI since the other one bailed, Willow, this is Luz, Luz, Willow." Eda didn't stop her walk towards her squad car, signaling that Luz probably shouldn't take her time either. </p>
<p>  "Oh! Nice to meet you, I work in Forensics, I must have just missed you at the scene earlier." Willow chirped, seeming like a beacon of sunshine despite the job she possesses. </p>
<p>  "Likewise! I don't envy that line of work though, I already didn't do too well at the scene." Luz laughed sheepishly which drew a laugh from Willow as well. </p>
<p>  "Well it's not anyone's first choice if they're squeamish, so I don't blame you. Anyway, I gotta get some stuff down to the lab, I'll be seeing you around Luz!" She waved as she headed up the stairs, disappearing into the building. </p>
<p>  "You and her will get along great, you two are a lot alike." Eda called from the car, which snapped Luz back to the realization that she hadn't fully followed Eda down the steps to the vehicle. She hurried down and flung the door open, jumping inside and giving Eda an innocent smile as she closed the door. Eda just shook her head and smiled to herself, starting the car and pulling away. Luz pulled out her phone and began sending a text to her mom. </p>
<p>  ' hey mami, do you mind if I stay over tonight?' She didn't imagine her mom would mind, but it had started to get dark out and she knew her mom usually worked nights, so it may be a no. As she peered out the window, her phone buzzed in response. Luz looked down at the phone and smiled from ear to ear. </p>
<p>  ' of course bebé, I'm on day turn this month so we can order pizza and watch a movie!' Luz had been so busy with getting work set up and everything recently that she realized she hadn't seen her mom in awhile, so this made her heart flutter at getting some gal time with her. </p>
<p>  As Eda pulled up to the address, she handed Luz her business card which had her phone number on it. "Listen kid, if you need anything or find anything new out, feel free to give me a call. Just don't text me, I barely know how to work my phone as it is." Eda laughed and patted Luz on the shoulder, which made her smile even more than she already was. </p>
<p>  "Thanks for everything Eda, I'm gonna do my best!" She raised a fist triumphantly and accidentally punched the top of the car, recoiling and holding her hand in defeat. </p>
<p>  "I don't have any doubt, now go get some rest," Eda said warmly, and Luz just nodded, smile still plastered on her face, and got out of the car. She stepped onto the sidewalk and approached the gate to the fence that surrounded the house, pulling it open and shutting it after stepping through. As she approached the porch, the front door began to open, revealing her mom in pajamas, eagerly awaiting her. Her mom was slightly shorter than Luz, but most of her features matched hers. The key difference is her mother has long hair, pulled back into a tight bun, and was of a slightly heavier build than Luz. </p>
<p>  "Mija, it's so good to see you, I'm so happy you've stopped by!" She hugged her daughter as Luz stepped past the threshold of the house. </p>
<p>  "I missed you, mom, I'm sorry I've been so busy lately," Luz apologized but her mother simply held up a hand to her. </p>
<p>  "You do not need to apologize for making your own way, I'm just so proud of you for doing it," her mom cupped her face and kissed her forehead, which made Luz feel lucky and elated. Her mom used to be more critical of her fantasies and aspirations, but as time went on, she embraced them more and more, weirdness and all. </p>
<p>  "So what movie are we watching?" Luz asked excitedly, removing her shoes and walking into the small living room. </p>
<p>  "I just rented one of those new scary movies, I remembered you liked them a lot." There was a hint of pride in her voice and Luz could only smile at her mother's giddiness. It is true though, she does love horror, so she was always excited to see a new scary flick. </p>
<p>  It was at the first jump scare of the movie that a knock came to the door, scaring them and eliciting a scream from them both. Her mother tentatively got up to check who it was, sighing when she opened the door and it was only the pizza delivery man. </p>
<p>  "I got a delivery for Camila Noceda?" The lanky teen asked, presuming he was at the right house. Her mother grabbed her purse from the coat rack near the door and pulled out a few bills, handing it to the man. </p>
<p>  "Please keep the change," she said happily, breath still shaky from the scare that had just occurred. She brought the pizza back after shutting the door and set it on the coffee table in front of them, where they resumed their movie and immediately became engrossed again. </p>
<p>  As the movie concluded, her mother looked at the clock on the wall and noticed it was half past ten, where she got up and stretched. </p>
<p>  "Well mija, I have to head to bed, your bed is made in your old room so you don't have to worry about finding a place to sleep." She leaned down and kissed Luz on the forehead before heading to her own room. "Goodnight Luz, and it's good having you back here, please stay as long as you want," and with that, she retired to her room. Luz was left with a half eaten pizza and her folder of murder victims, which she knew she had to begin working on if she was going to crack this case. She opened the folder and pulled out the second victim, ready to delve into the mystery. </p>
<p>  The first thing she noticed was the pattern, this person was young as well. Early twenties, much too young to hopefully have gotten into too much trouble. Maybe there was a connection with the age. Just as Luz was moving onto the third victim, her work cell phone began to ring. She looked at the caller, and it wasn't blocked so it could at least be traceable, before tentatively answering it. </p>
<p>  "Luz Noceda, Private Eye," she was almost whispering. There was a quiet sob on the other end of the phone before a frail voice began speaking. </p>
<p>  "Please, I need your help, I think my brother and sister have been kidnapped, and the police haven't found anything." Her sobs were quiet, like she was doing everything in her power to contain them. </p>
<p>  "Okay, okay, just breathe, what's your name?" Luz was trying her best to stay calm as well, the call came at a very jarring time. The voice on the other end took a deep breath, seeming to steel her nerves before her next few words. </p>
<p>  "Amity Blight."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Okay Miss Blight, please tell me everything you can," Luz was still speaking at a lower volume so as not to disturb her mother, but frantically pulling out a pad of paper and a pen from her pocket. Who would have thought that she'd get two jobs in one day! But for now she had to be serious, this was a deadly serious matter. </p>
<p>  "Well, recently our father, Alador Blight, has fallen ill, and ever since then, we've been hearing more and more vehicles come and go outside. Now that he's only doing worse, someone came in and kidnapped my brother and sister, Edric and Emira, and I'm afraid I may be next. I saw a vehicle outside, it was a big black van that drove away when I heard the commotion." Luz was taking down details as she could hear the woman on the other end of the line's composure beginning to waver. Luz couldn't even begin to imagine how hard this must be for her. Which brought another question to her mind. </p>
<p>  "Are you safe right now?" Luz was now on full alert, thinking only about the woman's safety. She didn't have a car but she'd get there to help her in anyway she could. </p>
<p>  "I'm fine for now, I'm staying at a friend's house, I left immediately after it happened." The woman seemed confident in her situation, but that still didn't mean she was one hundred percent safe. </p>
<p>  "That's good, so why did you contact me and not just let the police handle it?" Luz was by nature inquisitive, which helped her drum up the necessary questions needed to aid in her work. </p>
<p>  "Because they already knew about it and said someone had already called. My mother is away on business since my father is unable to do so, so it couldn't have been her, which leaves no one else." Amity was staying strong from what Luz could tell, despite how difficult this must be. This probably means they're doing it for a ransom of some kind. </p>
<p>  "Sorry to pry, but is your family wealthy in anyway?" Luz hated asking that question, to her it sounded like she was in it for the money, even though Amity's response denounced that notion. </p>
<p>  "We're the wealthiest family in Bonesborough, my father owns ever shipping company in the Port. I'm honestly surprised you've never heard of us." Amity seemed genuinely surprised, and Luz noticed that the woman didn't sound very old, maybe early twenties like her? </p>
<p>  "Sorry, I'm in my own head a lot, so you say you live with your father and mother, do your siblings also live there as well?" Luz was beginning to pry, she needed more information, or else this was going to go nowhere. </p>
<p>  "They were visiting for a few days, which makes me think this was planned beforehand. Someone had to know they would be here, right?" She was trying to reason with herself, trying to gain some semblance of control over the situation that she most likely felt utterly powerless in. </p>
<p>  "It sounds like it," Luz confirmed, hoping the affirmation might help Amity keep a grip on herself in this trying time. "I'm gonna do some investigating for you Miss Blight, we're going to find them. Would you mind stopping by my office tomorrow so I can get some more information?" She couldn't lie, she was tired after today, and couldn't stomach looking at another body or take in another bit of information. Plus being able to see the victims in question would help in her findings. </p>
<p>  "Of course, I'll be there around nine?" She inquired tentatively, as if the woman she was hiring would turn her request down. </p>
<p>  "That's perfect! The door will be open for you, until then, please be safe, and be careful Miss Blight," Luz felt genuine concern for this woman, which certainly wasn't a bad thing. Empathy in this line of work can take you to the moon and back. </p>
<p>  No, Luz pushed those thoughts from her mind, she couldn't think about things like that in such a dire situation. </p>
<p>  "Thank you, Luz Noceda, have a nice evening," she responded politely before hanging up the phone. Luz simply yawned and looked at the clock, noticing it was close to midnight by this time. She'd need to be up at seven, showered and gone by eight, and prepared for Miss Blight by nine. Tomorrow was a full day, for sure. </p>
<p>  Morning broke and Luz and her mother hugged as she left out the door to work, leaving Luz to make sure the door was locked before she left too. Luz walked into the bathroom, exactly as she remembered it, and started the shower. The heat began to permeate her skin and steam started to build up fogging the mirror above the sink. Luz peeled off yesterday's clothes and stepped gently into the shower, swearing as the much too hot water pelted her skin. Since she knew she was alone, she began belting out a song by her favorite band, Good Witch Azura. The song was about triumphing over evil and good reigning supreme, something to get her pumped for the day. </p>
<p>  As she finished her shower, she grabbed and towel and wrapped it around herself, and then promptly cut into the chorus of the song. </p>
<p>  "To defend the weak, through the dark and bleak, I channel your power. With your hand in mine, we will hold the line, in our darkest hour!" She simulated a guitar riff as she began preparing her toothbrush to brush her teeth. She was ready for the day, whatever it may bring. </p>
<p>  She put on some nice clothes that seemed professional enough, form fitting khakis and a short sleeve blouse that tucked in to her pants. She grabbed a hairband and put in her hair to pull her still wet hair back, and grabbed her file of murder victims before heading out the door, ensuring it was locked before she left. Her mother's house was less than a mile from her office, so she just decided to walk. Checking her phone, she saw that it was ten past eight, meaning she'd have plenty of time to get to the office and get ready for Amity's arrival. She decided to stop at a local coffee shop before heading in, feeling she needed some sort of pick me up. She stopped on her way at a Barstucks and grabbed a French vanilla cappuccino, sweet but still with the much needed caffeine. </p>
<p>  Luz was thankful that the PD has paid her retainer already, it allowed her to get the essentials she needed like food, which she was drastically running low on back home. There was a brief pause as Luz eyed a coffee cake, and hunger tempted her into buying it. So there she strode, eating her coffee cake and sipping her lifeblood, on her way to her office, the tune from the morning still stuck in her head, which she hummed happily to herself. </p>
<p>  She showed up at her office with a little less than a half an hour to spare, not even sure if Amity would show up in all honesty. What if it was a prank call? Or what if she just went with someone else instead? Well, no sense in worrying about it now. She unlocked her door and stepped in, looking at the desk that was about to contain her for the next several hours and heaved a sigh. Both jobs are going to be hard work, and she felt like she in for a lot of sleepless nights to come. As Luz was lost in thought, a knock at the door came and brought her back down to her senses. The doorknob turned and in walked who she presumed to be Amity Blight. </p>
<p>  She was about Luz's height, but without the lean muscle, which left her petite and delicate. Her bright green hair reached her shoulders with her bangs pulled back into a small bun near the back of her head. She wore a black dress that cut off just above her shins, with purple embroidery and trim, which made her pale skin stand out in contrast. She also noticed her ears, the pointed tips denoting that she was a witch, unlike her own rounded ears. </p>
<p>  "Hi, you must be Amity Blight, it's nice to meet you!" She said excitedly, with just a hint of nervousness behind it. </p>
<p>  "The pleasure is mine, thank you for helping, I didn't know where else to turn." She looked like she hadn't slept much, and understandably so given the situation. Luz motioned for her to sit and Amity nodded and crossed the room, short heels clicking against the concrete floor. As she sat, Luz could tell the state she was in. She was in shock still, her body was practically running on fumes, but still she persevered. </p>
<p>  "So Miss Blight, do you have a picture of your siblings so I can see who I need to find?" Amity nodded in recognition as she pulled out a cell phone, pulling up a photo and handing her phone to Luz. She took it and examined the picture, seeing Amity between two slightly older siblings, both with darker green hair. Notably they were both taller than Amity, both with a very distinct smirk on their faces. Edric has short hair, to about his ears, while Emira had long hair tied into a single long braid. They were twins, and it was obvious when she compared them side by side. She returned the phone to Amity and noticed that she was struggling to hold herself together. </p>
<p>  "Amity, I know this isn't exactly professional, but do you need a hug?" Luz was good at building a personal connection with people, because she did her best to put herself into people's shoes. She knew when someone needed a good cry, and when someone needed held. </p>
<p>  "I'm fine, but thank you for the offer," Amity assured her, though she didn't seem to sure of herself with the response. </p>
<p>  "Okay, so what all can you tell me about last night? Anything you can remember might help." Luz took out her pen and pad of paper and waited for Amity to begin. </p>
<p>  "Well, I was in my room, listening to music while I did my studies, and I heard Edric and Emira downstairs yelling, which wasn't out of the ordinary. But then I heard banging, and realized that their fights are never physical, so I got up to see what was happening and I saw," her voice hitched and she had to take a second to stop from crying. Luz made sure not to push her, as this situation was understandably the worst thing the woman in front of her could be going through. Amity breathed a shaky breath before continuing. "I saw Edric and Emira, gagged and bound being carried out the front door by two large men. They didn't notice me thankfully, so I followed behind as close as I was able and saw the van they were using it was black,  with no windows on any of the panels. It had a company logo, I think it had a mask or something on it? And I got a few letters of the license plate, ADO, but that's all I could get. I left in my own car before they could come back for me." </p>
<p>  Luz sat in thought for a moment, that definitely sounded familiar, but she'd need to do some research until then. She closed her note pad and leaned forward, looking at Amity's golden eyes, a tinge of red graced Luz's face as she took. </p>
<p>  "Okay, that's good information, I'll start doing some research and let you know as soon as I find something. In the meantime, are you positive that your friends house is safe?" Luz was pondering on the options. </p>
<p>  "I'm not entirely sure, I just don't really have anywhere else to go," she solemnly looked at the ground, which gave Luz an idea. </p>
<p>  "Well, I'm currently staying with my mother, would you want to come stay with us? It's a little more off the radar," Luz wasn't even sure how her mother would feel, but she felt she had to do something to make sure Amity was safe. </p>
<p>  "Would that be alright? I wouldn't want to impose." She's sweet, her life could be in danger and she's thinking about being an accommodating houseguest. A little misguided, but sweet. </p>
<p>  "Yeah, I insist, I just want to make sure you're safe," she smiled at the petite woman, and collected her things. "I hope you don't mind a bit of walking, I don't currently have a car," Luz gave a sheepish smile, overlooking a simple detail. </p>
<p>  "Would you, um, want me to drive us? I brought my car," Amity suggested quietly, which made Luz laugh awkwardly. Of course Amity already mentioned that she had a car. </p>
<p>  "Yeah, that may be better than walking!" Luz rubbed the back of her head shyly, and promptly stood up. Amity just gave a gentle laugh, and stood up as well, following her out the door. Luz made sure to lock up behind her and Amity led the way down to the small parking lot outside. It was a nice car, an expensive make, not that Luz knew much about cars aside from they look nice. Amity unlocked the car and Luz climbed into the passenger's seat, noticing the seat seemed to be a little further back than her legs needed. The car smelled nice, like mint with a hint of honey, and was immaculately clean. Amity delicately climbed into the driver's seat, and Luz couldn't help but notice how cute the smaller woman looked in a seat that appeared much bigger than her. </p>
<p>  She mentally scolded herself for having a thought like that in this current situation. She just smiled at Amity, big and awkward again and gave her the directions to her mothers house, advising to pull into the alleyway behind the house so her car wouldn't be easily identified by anyone looking to do her harm. </p>
<p>  "I don't know why I trust you as much as I do, but there's something about you that just seems so genuine," Amity smiled as she started the car and began pulling out of the lot. She drove the short distance, a nearly inaudible song playing on the radio that Luz swore she could recognize. As they pulled up behind her mother's house, she took note of the small fenced in yard, making sure nothing was out of place. Luz exited the car, Amity following close behind as the former opened the gate for her, and pulled it closed after they both entered. A few small steps led up to a modest porch, quite similar to the one out front, leading up to a solid oak door. Luz unlocked the door and again opened it for her now houseguest, making a mental note to send her mom a text letting her know the situation. </p>
<p>  "It's not much but this is the Noceda residence, make yourself at home. You can use my room, it's the door to the left of the bathroom," she pointed toward where her room would be, and Amity idly made her way towards it to get a feel of where she'd be sleeping. As she peered her head in, she took note of all the Good Witch Azura posters on the wall and smiled wide. </p>
<p>  "I don't suppose you still like Good Witch Azura, do you?" Amity asked as she peeked into the kitchen where Luz had begun brewing a pot of coffee, realizing she left her cappuccino sitting on her desk. </p>
<p>  "I love them! They're my favorite band!" She perked up, turning to face her. </p>
<p>  "So do I!" Amity returned her excited demeanor in kind, it was quite unlike what she had seen so far. She was far more animated, seeming to spring to life with a topic that took her mind off of the tragedy that was brought to light not twenty-four hours ago. Luz smiled at her as she poured a cup of coffee, offering one to her but receiving a denial and put the coffee pot back onto the machine. Suddenly Luz had a moment of clarity, remembering something she had seen in passing in the paper when looking at her own ad. She quickly slammed down her cup of coffee and searched for the paper her mother had with her ad, finding it on the coffee table under the pizza box from last night. Flipping through the ads, she came across a depiction of a beautiful mask with a a large company name behind it. </p>
<p>  "Adonis Shipping Company."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  Amity stared at Luz in shock. One of the companies her father owned, responsible for the kidnapping of her brother and sister? Surely that couldn't be right. She sat down on the couch and held her head in her hands. </p><p>  "Amity, I can't be for certain that that's the company, but from the information you've given me, it's a strong lead. We should contact the authorities so they ca-" </p><p>  "No!" Amity cut Luz off before she could finish. "Sorry, it's just, I think the police may have been paid off, I don't want them alerting the people who may have kidnapped Em and Ed. I'm going to go find them." She stood up, barely having time to process the information. </p><p>  "Whoa, hang on, you can't just run into the lion's den, unarmed and unprepared," Luz held up her arms to stop her, or at least get her to slow down and think. She has seen a few new emotions in this pale woman in the last fifteen minutes and all have been more lively than the last. </p><p>  "Luz, I'm a witch, I can handle myself, however I don't think you should come along. Since you can't do magic I wouldn't want you getting hurt," Amity just put her arm on Luz's shoulder and moved her aside. Luz felt the sting of indignation, she wasn't useless, but people have treated her that way all her life because she couldn't do magic. She wasn't going to sit by, not anymore. </p><p>  "No, I'm coming with you. I won't let you do this alone, and there's no stopping me!" Luz knew very well if Amity was a powerful witch, there were many ways of her stopping her from going. But Amity simply sighed, looking at the ground for a moment before looking back up into Luz's eyes. </p><p>  "If you're sure, thank you though, for going to such lengths to help." She smiled at her, with a level of concern behind it. Luz ran into her room, leaving Amity to hear her rummaging around before reemerging with something in her hand, looking proud of herself. </p><p>  "If I can't do regular magic, I'll rely on human magic!" She declared as she held up a taser. This drew a small laugh from Amity, which seemed to briefly take her mind off the severity of the situation. </p><p>  "Well we're prepared as we'll ever be," Amity feigned confidence and started to head towards the back door, Luz jogging to catch up to her. As they exited the house, Luz made sure to lock the house up, before giving the other woman a thumbs up. They proceeded out the gate and back into Amity's car, the same alluring smell wafting into Luz's nose. As Amity pulled away, she turned up the music from earlier, revealing it was a Good Witch Azura cd playing, which did a good job of hyping them both up for this situation to come. It didn't take long before both of them were belting out songs together, like lifelong friends that just reconnected. </p><p>  "I traveled through the wastes, I tried to find my place, among the stars above. But I will not back down, with my feet on the ground, I'll protect those I love!" They harmonized well, and Luz couldn't help but admire the other woman's singing voice. Just as the song quieted down nearing its end, she saw that Amity had a look of inspiration on her face. </p><p>  "Luz, I have an idea!" Her eyes never left the road but she leaned slightly over, popping open the glove box. She grabbed a small case and handed it to Luz, and upon opening, the tan woman pulled out a pair of glasses, oval frame, but with no lenses. She just looked at Amity, inquisitive, but was not able to say anything before Amity began speaking again. "Okay, so here's the plan."</p><p> </p><p>  They arrived at the port after about ten minutes of driving, Luz equipped with glasses and a clipboard, following close behind Amity, both walking with a purpose. They entered through the front of a warehouse with the word 'ADONIS' plastered in big blue letters at the top. Amity walked straight up to the buildings receiving area and confronted who she believed to be the foreman. He seemed to immediately recognize her and a look of guilt washed over his face. </p><p>  "Miss Blight, what can we do for you?" He managed to sputter out as Amity glared daggers at him. </p><p>  "My father has tasked me with some overseeing details, making sure everyone here is doing their job and doing what they're supposed to be doing. Don't bother showing me around, I can manage it by myself," Luz kept a straight face but internally was in awe. Amity was fierce, truly a force to be reckoned with when she chose to be. The pale woman pushed past the larger man who looked down at them both. </p><p>  "I'm sorry, but she can't go with you," he quietly spoke up, referring to Luz. Amity stopped in her tracks, turning to him with fire behind her eyes. </p><p>  "Would you be willing to stake your job on that?" She said bitterly, venom dripped words making the man recoil and seeming to shrink beneath them. "She's MY assistant. She goes with me," she practically spat out at him. He simply nodded and scurried away, not wanting anymore of a verbal thrashing from the smaller woman who had so much power over him. Amity turned back to continue walking, Luz entranced by the display she'd just seen. She knew how to play the spoiled rich kid at least, and quite well. </p><p>  As they walked through the warehouse, they were both on high alert for any sign of Amity's siblings, while also staying alert for any possible threat that may be waiting for them inside the building. Luz felt something tugging at her mind, like a magical string being pulled. Almost as if someone were trying to get her attention. She stopped for a moment, taking a breath and focusing in on the feeling. Amity looked back at her, a puzzled look on her face. </p><p>  "Luz, is something wrong?" She whispered to her, not wanting anyone to hear their secret conversations. </p><p>  "Amity, are your brother and sister strong? Like, powerful witches?" Luz asked, eyes closed as she focused in further on the pull. </p><p>  "Yeah, they're really good with illusion magic, outrageously so, why?" She was puzzled, unknowing that Luz had identified their presence already. </p><p>  "Look for stairs, a ladder, or an elevator. They're being held beneath us." The fake glasses made it more dramatic when her eyes snapped open at the realization. They were calling out to her, calling out for help, probably without them even knowing it. Amity contained herself enough to give Luz a nod and they hastened their steps, trying to find any semblance of a way down. A few heads turned as they walked past workers, but seemed to garner little attention for now which was working out well for them. Amity spotted an elevator at the end of a poorly lit hallway, and they made their way towards it. They reached the metal doors, with Luz pushing the down button, and the door immediately shot open. Whoever put them there was up here, and that probably didn't bode well for either of them. </p><p>  The doors shut with both of them inside, and a feeling of uneasiness began to swell within Luz. They didn't know what would be waiting for them at the bottom, but they knew for sure Edric and Emira were there. They were saving them, nothing was going to stop them. As the doors reached the bottom, their destination, Amity took a deep breath and readied herself. The doors opened up to an empty room, save for two people in the middle, blindfolded, gagged and tied back to back to chairs. This didn't feel right to Luz at all, and as they entered the room, the sounds of their foot steps alerted the two in the middle of their presence. Tears stained both of their cheeks, and they had bruises on their faces, either torture or they put up a hell of a struggle. Amity ran to them to them, immediately removing the blindfolds and gags. </p><p>  "Mittens?" The man asked, assumingly referring to Amity. "What are you doing here? How did you even find us?" His voice was raspy and dry, probably from screaming against his gag. </p><p>  "I had a professional here to help," was all she said as she undid the ropes that bound them to the chairs. They stood up, rubbing theirs wrists before hugging their sister in a tight embrace. Emira looked over at Luz who was nervously looking around, taking note of her ears before making any comment. </p><p>  "We should probably get going, I have a really bad feeling about all of this," Luz noticed that the room was only lit up enough to see the center clearly, and anything else was immersed in a swathe of darkness, which didn't feel right to her. </p><p>  "Agreed," Emira confirmed, which the other two just gave a brief nod before heading back towards the elevator. The doors then proceeded to shut, signaling the elevator was now in use. They all just shared a concerned look between each other before mentally preparing for what was about to come out of the doors when it came back down. As the sound of the elevator descending met their ears, and the familiar ding of the buzzer signaling it hit the bottom chimed, dread instantly moved over all of them. As the door opened, Luz felt something was immediately wrong. She could sense magic about them, but it was twisting and writhing, seeming wild in nature and unnatural. A tall man stepped out, a white cloak eclipsing his body, and a horned mask with what appeared to be a beak protruding near the bottom. </p><p>  "Ah, everyone I need in one convenient place." His voice was odd, out of place, like several voices were fighting for control at the same time to be dominant. He held a staff in his hands that looked more mechanical than magic, a glass casing around something electric on the end. His eyes seemed to burn blue behind his mask, boring into them from a single glance. </p><p>  "Who the hell are you?" Edric asked, stepping in front of his sisters. The man turned to look at him, pondering for a moment before turning back to the others. He didn't see Edric as a threat. </p><p>  "My name is of no importance to you, you were brought to me to serve a higher purpose, now if you would be kind enough to move back into the middle of the room so you can die where I need you to." He was cold, unwavering, like a robot given sentience. Amity raised a hand, conjuring fire in her palm and pointing it towards him. </p><p>  "Move, I won't ask twice," her serious voice came out again and the twins simply gave her some space, knowing quite well what the youngest Blight was capable of. He stared at her for a few more moments before stepping forward towards her, where she launched the incandescent flame towards him. </p><p>  And he absorbed it. </p><p>  With the palm of his hand open, a mechanism absorbed the magic, leaving no trace that she had ever casted a spell at him. She recoiled initially, before beginning an onslaught of fire at him, one after another. And just like the first, he absorbed them all, nutrients to feed a growing evil. </p><p>  "I really don't have time for this so I'll make you a deal. One of you is going to give me more trouble than the rest." He turned to Luz while still directing his attention to the Blights. "Leave her behind, and you may leave, I'll just find you sooner than later, but you will live for now." Luz was scared, what did she have to do with any of this? Thoughts began to race in her mind, settling on him absorbing Amity's magic. Absorbing magic. </p><p>  He's the killer. </p><p>  Luz was face to face with a serial killer and couldn't think of anything to do. Worst of all, the offer was tempting, leave behind the nobody to save your family? Luz wouldn't blame them for taking the offer. Wait, was someone yelling? </p><p>  "Luz!" Amity cried out, snapping the woman back to reality, they were all in danger, was she going to take the offer? "Use your human magic!" She called out. Human magic? Humans couldn't do magic, right? Luz's mind cleared at the thought of others in danger and remembered that she had grabbed her taser before she left. Her human magic. </p><p>  "Alright, let them go, you can have me," Luz said hesitantly, and he just waved off the Blight siblings, approaching her with clear intent of killing her. As he raised his staff to her, she rushed forward, grabbing the end of the staff, breaking the glass mechanism in her right hand and shoving the taser into his chest with her left, the loud buzzing and popping met with the man's screams. It had clearly done the trick. The man fell to floor, clearly down but not out, and the four sprinted past him, piling into the elevator and mashing the up button. He stood up and locked eyes with them as the door shut, and they sighed a breath of relief as the elevator ascended to the top. </p><p>  "Luz, you looked like you knew him," Amity spoke quietly before the elevator doors opened. Luz just gave her a mortified look, still in shock of the situation that had just unfolded. As the doors opened they all took off running down the hall, making their way through the warehouse and out the front. They all hurried to Amity's car and got in as fast as possible, with the youngest Blight peeling out of the lot and back to the Noceda Residence. </p><p>  "That man is a serial killer the police are currently after," Luz finally spoke up, though the car was quiet aside from the hum of the engine. </p><p>  "Well that's a little heavy, but why did he go after us?" Edric asked, seemingly breaking the tension in the car. </p><p>  "He's absorbing magical potential from humans he kills right now, I'm guessing he's about to start moving on to witches, hence him absorbing Amity's magic," Luz pondered, it was clearly some sort of tech he was using to do it, but how is something like that even possible? She came to the realization that her right hand hurt, the one that grabbed the staff, and noticed it was bleeding from numerous glass shards impaled in her skin. Amity glanced over and began to panic. </p><p>  "Luz you're bleeding!" She cried out, but keeping her hands steady on the wheel. Luz, taking everything in, the weight of everything crushing down on her and the pain in her hand, finally broke down and began to cry. </p><p>  The feeling of being in over her head now firmly cemented in her mind.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  Edric and Emira sat on Camila's couch in the living room while Amity removed glass from Luz's hand in the kitchen, audible sniffles still coming from the injured woman. Luckily none of the glass punctured too deep, and no cuts were wide enough to the point of requiring stitches. After cleaning the cuts out which drew a few expletives from Luz, Amity wrapped her hand with bandages she found in a first aid kit from the bathroom. </p><p>  "Well this has been the most traumatizing twenty-four hours of my life," Luz said, portraying the statement as more of a joke, but Amity could tell she meant it. </p><p>  "Same!" Edric and Emira called from the other room, and though the situation was terrible, their goal seemed to be to break the tension of the room again, which seemed to work as Amity gave a small laugh. She could breathe easy knowing her siblings were safe, and the person she hired who she now saw as a friend was safe as well. </p><p>  "Thank you, for not leaving me behind back there," Luz smiled at her, and the youngest Blight just shook her head. </p><p>  "You risked your life to help me, to save two people you didn't even know, what kind of witch would I be if I left you there?" Amity gave her good hand a gentle squeeze and Luz sheepishly ran her fingers through her own hair. </p><p>  "Not the Azura kind at the very least," her smile didn't waver, standing up and waiting for Amity to stand as well before pulling the petite woman into a hug. Amity smiled warmly and returned the hug, not seeing the look that Edric and Emira were sharing. As the two separated, Luz pulled out her work phone and walked into the living room, grabbing the card that Eda had given her. As she dialed the number, she put the phone up to her ear, letting it ring. After a few rings, she heard the phone click and the familiar voice answer. </p><p>  "Detective Clawthorne," was all she said in response to the call. </p><p>  "Eda!" Luz called out, startling everyone, even herself with the volume of her voice. She waited for the older woman to speak again, presuming she probably shocked her with her abrupt introduction. </p><p>  "Kid, calm down, you're gonna bust my ear drum. But judging by your excitement I guess you've found some information." Luz could sense I bit of pride in her voice, she knew she wouldn't let the older woman down. </p><p>  "More than just information, I have a description of the killer. He's tall, over six feet, cloaked in a white robe with a horned mask with a beak, and has this staff that was like, electronic with a glass tube on the end that I may or may not have broken when I tased him to get away." Luz was intentionally leaving out details regarding the Blight family, in case the police were somehow in on it. </p><p>  "Wait, you confronted him? Luz you're just a human too, you could have died!" Eda raised her mom voice, disregarding the fact that the person she was speaking to was also an adult. </p><p>  "It wasn't intentional, he confronted me! But he does know that we're after him, so he's probably on high alert right now," Luz was pondering for a moment. How did he know that she was after him? The only thing she could think was someone at the police station tipped him off. Surely it couldn't be Eda, right? </p><p>  "Listen Luz, you're now a target of this guy, and he's gonna figure out where you're staying eventually. Do you want me to have a car posted outside until he's caught?" The idea of police who would tip off the killer as soon as they got here made her skin crawl, but Eda was right, they wouldn't be safe for long. </p><p>  "I don't think that'll be necessary, besides, I'm sure everyone is busy with the case right now!" Luz laughed nervously, hearing Eda go quiet. She heard her walking and the sound of a door shut followed soon after. </p><p>  "Luz, there's an informant in the precinct isn't there?" Eda spoke quietly, so as not to alert anyone of the new development in their conversation. The tan woman just looked over at Amity nervously before continuing. </p><p>  "I think so, there were some other things that happened that led up to me meeting him that made me realize he already knew who I was," Luz tentatively told the older woman everything she could, hoping no one else was listening. She heard Eda curse under her breath as she was quiet for a second. </p><p>  "Okay, I'm gonna send an undercover car to you, with two people I trust. All of this will be off the books, so no one else will know about this," Eda apparently had some pull to be able to get this done. Luz could only hope that Eda and the people she trusted could be trusted as well. "I gotta go, they'll be there as soon as I can get them there," and with that, the older woman hung up, leaving Luz to put the phone down and exhale a sigh she hadn't realized she'd been holding. </p><p>  "I take it that wasn't exactly good news?" Emira asked plainly, a hint of worry behind her carefree demeanor. Luz just sat down, on the edge of the couch, placing her face into her good hand so as not to put pressure on the other. </p><p>  "I don't know, I trust the detective that I just talked to, so she's sending an undercover car to watch over us, but I don't know about the two people she's sending. I'm worried is all, with everything that's happened, I don't want any of you put in danger, and we still don't even know why he targeted you two!" She gestured wildly towards the twins, who simply shrugged. </p><p>  "Maybe it was one of father's competitors? He's not exactly a clean businessman," Edric casually responded, shrugging his shoulders. Emira just sat back, pondering on the idea further. </p><p>  "Not many could have known we would be there, right? Since we were visiting to check up on dad, we didn't really tell anyone, just Amity and mom. So unless someone somehow found out or was already casing the place, I think our options are rather limited." Emira showed a look of disgust on her face at the thought, and Edric simply gasped. </p><p>  "I knew it, Amity was behind it all!" He feigned fainting against Emira and she just pushed him off, where he fell dramatically across the couch. </p><p>  "Its good to know that getting kidnapped didn't kill your ability to irritate me," Amity retorted flatly, drawing a devilish smirk from her brother that she knew meant he was up to no good. </p><p>  "We actually haven't heard from mother in a few days, are we sure she's alright?" Emira mentioned, which garnered the attention of her siblings. "Should we maybe call her and check on her?" Luz snapped up at the idea. </p><p>  "No!" Her voice came out louder than intended and once again startled everyone in the room, including herself. "Sorry, didn't mean to yell again. I'm not trying to be pessimistic, but what if your mom is a suspect here?" Luz didn't want it to sound as bad as it did, but the situation didn't exactly leave room for formalities. The Blight siblings all shared a concerned look, taking in the possibility that they're mother hired criminals to kidnap them. </p><p>  "I, don't really want to think about that right now, I can't handle a rescue mission and finding out my mother betrayed us in the first half of my day," Amity walked into the kitchen, seemingly done with the conversation. </p><p>  "Okay, well since that conversation is over, Emira and I haven't eaten anything in over sixteen hours, I'm very thirsty, I'm sure she is too. My next goal is to stay alive after screaming while being gagged, not in a good way, while being tied up, also not in a good way." Edric seemed to not feel uncomfortable around Luz in the slightest, from what she could gather. Or these were his default mannerisms, it was honestly hard to tell. </p><p>  "Oh I completely forgot you guys haven't eaten. Let me make you something if I can, I'm sure my mami left something I can make you," Luz said sympathetically, glossing over Edrics inappropriate comments and moving straight to the issue at hand. As she walked into the kitchen, she saw Amity seated at the kitchen table, head in her hands. These last twenty-four hours had been probably the worst of her life, though Luz could relate in some manner, their situations varied drastically. Amity, pulling her head from her hands, watched as Luz perused the fridge for food, pulling out ingredients one after another, she guessed some sort of stew. She finally took out four bottle of water, taking three in her hands and leaving one on the counter. </p><p>  She walked over to Amity and quietly handed her one, which the petite woman took while still staring at Luz, feeling like she should say something but no words approached her lips. Luz then entered the living room and handed both Edric and Emira a bottle, who thanked her profusely before uncapping and downing half of their respective bottles in one go. </p><p>  "Oh Titan you're a life saver, thank you so much," Emira said graciously, voice sounded slightly less raspy. Luz imagined their voices would need time to recover before they'd be back to normal again. </p><p>  "I hope beef stew is okay, it's one of the things I know how to make really well," Luz called out as she headed back towards the kitchen. </p><p>  "Bread would have been more than enough, so a hot meal sounds divine," Edric said as he stretched out onto the couch, draping his legs across Emira who simply rolled her eyes. As Luz re-entered the kitchen, she found that Amity was already chopping vegetables for her, a surprise for sure. </p><p>  "Thank you, you didn't have to though, I can handle it," Luz said, a hint of tiredness to her voice. She saw the pale woman sigh but not stop her motions of chopping carrots. </p><p>  "I can't be defensive for my mother, she's never exactly been the best parent, so it wouldn't surprise me if she wanted to off her kids for her own gain. I just wasn't ready to hear it," Amity said quietly. Luz walked over and patted her on the back, giving her an apologetic smile. </p><p>  "While I can't even begin to imagine how much that must suck, I am here if you need anything. Although it was around a bad situation, I'm, uh, really glad we met, Amity." Luz gave a sheepish smile, a slight blush across the tan girl's face. She immediately began preparing the rest of the stew while Amity prepped the rest of the vegetables, so as not to draw the youngest Blight's eyes to her. Amity gave a slight smile before speaking, making sure to collect her words properly. </p><p>  "I am too, I don't have many real friends so it's nice to know I have someone who I can genuinely count on. Thank you for today, I don't think I properly thanked you before," Amity finished talking as she put down the knife she was using to chop vegetables.</p><p> </p><p>"Well I mean, I couldn't let you down,  I don't think I could live with myself if something happened and I wasn't able to stop it," Luz said quietly, her fist clenched at the idea of getting to Edric and Emira too late. She felt Amity place a hand on her back, turning to face the pale woman, who just smiled at her. Together, they finished prepping the stew, putting it on heat before both stepping back into the living room. Luz finally had the thought to text her mother, though she doubt she'd respond since she was working. </p><p>  'Hey Mami, I have some people over, it's a long story, case related. I'll explain everything when you get home, I hope that's okay. Love you!' She sent the message, hoping that she would understand. A sound outside alerted all of them, the sound of a vehicle pulling up. Luz peeked out the window at the black car that had pulled up, presuming that was the undercover cops. The sound of a ring tone broke the following silence, causing everyone to turn to the source: Amity. She looked at her phone and a look of dread washed over her face before looking back up at her siblings. </p><p>  "It's mother."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Five chapters in so far with no sign of stopping, thank you all for your continued reading and support!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  "Hello Mother," Amity called out to the woman on the phone, as politely as her shocked nerves would allow. </p><p>  "Amity, I haven't been able to reach Edric or Emira, are they with you?" She said curtly, which caused the petite woman to just look at her siblings with hesitation. </p><p>  "Mom, Edric and Emira were kidnapped last night, I thought the police would have called you?" Amity lied expertly, feigning deep concern in her voice. It wasn't the first time she had lied to her mother and it certainly wouldn't be the last. </p><p>  "They've been kidnapped?" She nearly demanded the answer from Amity. "What kind of prank are they playing?" Her voice sounded far more angry than concerned. Either she was acting, or maybe she didn't know? </p><p>  "Two men came in and took them, I left in case they came back for me as well," Amity was doing her best not to let on that they were safe and sound. </p><p>  "Surely this is just one of their jokes, right?" Her tone began to falter and Amity heard a sense of dread behind her words. The idea that this wasn't her plan became a possibility again. She looked over at at Edric and Emira who had now migrated to the one side of the couch closest to her, listening in on the conversation. She heard her mother's breath hitch in her throat. Amity had never heard her mom cry before, so this was an entirely new side of her that she was trying to understand. </p><p>  "And the police haven't found anything yet?" She asked quietly, no longer trying to hide her tears. The youngest Blight just bit her lip, looking over at her siblings for advice. Edric motioned for her to mute the receiver, and upon doing so let out a loud breath that he'd been holding in unintentionally. </p><p>  "She never cries, so maybe she doesn't know anything about it?" Emira proposed, and Edric just shrugged. </p><p>  "She doesn't know where we are anyway, so worst case scenario she just has to sit there and get mad that her plan didn't work," Edric spoke nonchalantly, and Amity agreed, taking herself off of mute. </p><p>  "Mom, keep this hushed, but they are safe, a friend and I rescued them this morning. We're safe where we are, but trust when I say I can't tell you where that is," she heard her mother let out an audible gasp in between sobs. </p><p>  "Oh thank Titan," she practically cried out with joy, which began setting the scenario that perhaps she hadn't done anything nefarious. "Okay Amity, I trust you. Just please let me know if there's anything I can do. I already might lose your father, I can't bear to lose my children as well," in all Amity's life, 'I trust you' was never uttered in her direction without the words 'do not' thrown in between. </p><p>  "I will mom, just, be safe too please. I don't want anything happening to you either," Amity had never had a conversation like that before with her mother. She felt bad for suspecting her mother, but given the situation, who could really blame her? They hung up and she sighed, finding that conversation had been a lot more emotionally taxing than she expected. </p><p>  "Do you think she's actually telling the truth?" Edric asked, the tone sounding a bit more harsh than intended. </p><p>  "I've never heard mother cry, and she does love dad, that's for sure, so maybe? I don't know, I still think she could be at least a pawn for someone else," Amity said as she looked over at where Luz was standing, finding that she was no longer standing there. In the conversation, no one noticed that Luz had walked outside. The siblings shared a look as they peered out the window, seeing Luz had walked up to the unmarked car and tapped on the window. </p><p>  The window rolled down and Luz instantly recognized a face in the car. </p><p>  "Hey Jerbo, Eda sent you, right?" Luz asked happily, looking over at the woman in the driver's seat. She was shorter, with wild brown hair pulled back into a messy ponytail and what appeared to be a fish hook as an earring. Her bright green eyes stared at Luz, as if trying to size her up. </p><p>  "Hey Luz, yeah, Eda said this was of top secret importance so we're on the downlow right now. Also, this is Viney, she's good people so don't worry," he seemed like a calm man, which was a stark contrast to how her last twenty-four hours had gone. Viney simply flashed her a playful smile. </p><p>  "Nice to meet you, Miss Noceda. Trust me, you're in good hands," Viney smirked, and though Luz was rather oblivious at times, that was a very obvious flirt. A tinge of red flushed across her face, before clearing her throat. </p><p>  "N-nice to meet you too, Viney," Luz managed to stammer out, drawing a laugh from Viney. </p><p>  "I'm only messing with you, Luz. But for real, we've got you covered." The officer gave her a now reassuring smile, allowing the other woman to breathe a bit easier. </p><p>  "Well thanks for helping us out, it means a lot. I gotta get back inside, but you two be safe!" She said happily before heading back inside. As she shut the door behind her, she noticed all three Blights were crouched by the window, but looking over at her. </p><p>  "What? We're Blights, nosy by nature," Edric shrugged as he returned to his position on the couch, Emira following soon after. Luz just laughed at their actions, forgetting what it was like to be so friendly with a friend group. </p><p>  "I'm uh, gonna go check on the stew," Amity turned a light shade of pink and headed past the couch and into the kitchen. The moment she removed the lid from the pot, the smell wafted up to her nose, making her mouth water. Whatever Luz did made it both smell and appear divine, maybe she'd have to get her recipe for it. The smell clearly wafted past the kitchen, because moments after she closed the lid, she heard a groan come from the living room from the twins. </p><p>  "Why does that smell so good and why am I not currently eating it?" Emira asked in defeat, slumping further into the couch. Luz laughed at the antics of the older Blights, but she entirely understood that they have to be starving. They seemed to be handling their trauma well enough for now, but that could only last so long. Mentally, this was probably going to come up again. </p><p>  After a bit of waiting, they were all able to sit down for a nice lunch, Edric shedding a few tears at having something in his stomach. They all sat at the kitchen table, which perfectly seated four. The hot stew did a lot for all of them, Luz realized that this was the first time she had made it in a while, opting for takeout much more than she should. There'd been so many things that she had neglected after trying to start her business, and while she kept in shape, the rest of her health certainly wasn't stellar. Now that things have slowed down in some regards, she could really use some time to take care of herself. </p><p>  "Luz, are you okay?" Amity asked, noticing Luz was seemingly lost in thought. This brought her back to reality, not realizing she had been staring straight at her stew for several minutes in between bites. </p><p>  "Oh, yeah, sorry. I'm just thinking about life outside of work right now," Luz laughed, but she realized now how lonely her life has been, barely any friends, dedicating most of her time to work, going months at a time without seeing her mother. This little bit of interaction with the Blights has been the most friendly conversation that she has had since high school. Amity noticed that look immediately, she too was no stranger to those feelings. </p><p>  "Hey, uh, would you maybe wanna hang out after all this has blown over?" Amity asked, taking the first step. Luz's eyes lit up at the prospect, to hang out with someone as awesome as Amity? That sounds incredible! </p><p>  "Heck yeah I would! That sounds awesome! I've kinda been a shut in for awhile," Luz was great at portraying her real issues as jokes, but Amity was even better at seeing through the jokes to what she was really feeling behind them. </p><p>  "So how long do you think it'll take them to find the guy? I mean, you zapped him pretty good, and he doesn't have that staff of his anymore, unless he has a spare or something. He couldn't have gotten too far, right?" Edric posed the question to Luz to try to get an understanding from her perspective. Luz simply grimaced. She remembered the feeling of grabbing and breaking his staff. It was as if a well of energy had been released against her, unlike anything she'd ever felt before. </p><p>  "I hope not long, but something tells me this guy isn't going to be easy. He has an incredible amount of power from what I could feel, and I don't know if his magic siphoning comes from him or those mechanisms he was using, so he's not going down easy," Luz pondered on everything that she saw about the killer. He was stealing magic, so maybe that did point to him being human, but how was he doing it? He had to be a genius to be able to develop some technology like that. </p><p>  A genius who maybe has some sort of history. </p><p>  Luz immediately pulled out her phone and began searching through the default search engine her phone directed her through. She found that just typing in Absorbing Magic yielded little to no helpful results, and was primarily spiritual articles and videos about connecting with the earth. Narrowing her search however to include only research began to yield a few articles of interest. </p><p>  'Boiling Isles University student discovers method to absorbing magic'. The article grabbed her attention immediately. The Boiling Isles are a group of islands off the coast of Bonesborough where a large university and town are situated. It's mostly a prestigious school where rich kids go, because of the high cost. She continued reading the article, noticing that any semblance of a name has been redacted. </p><p>  'A local alumni -redacted- has discovered a method to absorbing magic from one's surroundings, allowing the prospect of humans learning magic to become a reality.' That was Luz's dream, being able to do magic and knowing what it feels like to wield that kind of power. She imagined life would be easier, but if it was coming at the cost of the lives of people, she'd happily be a regular human. An article underneath the current one she was delving into caught her attention. </p><p>  'Boiling Isles University student expelled after allegations surrounding magical research.' This was it, this was what she needed. As she clicked the link, she noticed the name had been redacted like the previous article. Someone had a reason for doing this, be it their own safety or perhaps being paid off. </p><p>  'A Boiling Isles Alumni has been expelled and removed from campus over allegations surrounding their research into magic. Allegedly trace amount of blood were found in the students findings, as well as fragments of bones. Upon these findings, Dean Bump had no choice but to expel -redacted- pending investigation.' This was it, this was what she needed to find. </p><p>  "You look like you found something," Amity mentioned, causing the other two Blights to look over as well. </p><p>  "Yeah, I think I found something big, give me a few minutes, I just need to make a quick call," Luz said as she got up from the table. She walked into her room to get a quiet place to talk, and began dialing the number she found for the main office of the Boiling Isles University. The phone rang two times before a receptionist answered the phone. </p><p>  "BIU, how may I help you?" The woman called out flatly, giving Luz the impression that she didn't want to be there. </p><p>  "Hi, my name is Luz Noceda, Private Investigator. I'm trying to reach Dean Bump, is he available by any chance?" She put on her professional voice that she was starting to get used to. </p><p>  "Hold please, I'll see if he's available," she placed Luz on hold, leaving her with calm elevator music while she waits. She sat down on her bed and ran her fingers through her hair, pulling out the hairband she had been using since that morning. She was surprised it had managed to stay in her hair during the whole port incident. Her hair had a prominent curl from the band being in her hair while it was still wet, so it gave her hair a small wave, the smell of her shampoo wafted past her nose as she put her hairband on the stand next to her bed. </p><p>  "Sorry for your wait, I'll get you right back to him, hold one moment," the receptionist said returning to the phone. There was another brief moment of silence before a gruff sounding man answered the phone. </p><p>  "This is Bump, what can I do for you Miss Noceda?" She didn't know what he looked like, but Luz could tell he was older, just from how his voice sounded. </p><p>  "Sir, I'm investigating a string of murders with the Bonesborough PD and I think they may be connected with one of your previous students, I was hoping you'd be able to help me figure out who it is," her voice was steady, but inside Luz was excited that she may be about to blow the case wide open. "Do you remember a student who was researching the absorption of Magic?" The question left the man in silence for a few seconds, giving no indication that he would even answer before he began speaking again. </p><p>  "Oh I remember a student that fits that description. Wonderfully talented, a literal genius. He just didn't know where to draw the line on ethics. I heard through the vine he escaped trial by paying off the judge," Bump clearly knew the man in question. </p><p>  "Do you happen to remember his name?" She pressed, she had to get that information, she just had to. </p><p>  "I remember his first name, though his last name escapes me. Belos."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  Luz was furiously writing down information as Bump was telling her everything he could. All of this information was about to be immediately regurgitated to Eda, hopefully leading to this killer being stopped. </p>
<p>  "If you give me a moment, I can have our receptionist pull his record and get his information for you," he was beyond helpful, and seemed eager to assist her in anyway he could. Luz thought about the prospect of closing a case so soon, being the reason that many lives could be saved, a smile breaking out across her face. </p>
<p>  "Of course, take your time," she said gently in response, she would happily wait for this. She tapped her foot lightly, her excitement barely contained by her professional demeanor. Bump was not gone long before returning to the phone, giving a huff as she heard him sit back down. </p>
<p>  "Okay, so I've got his file, Belos Delasari, magical research student, ah, here's an address. 112 Griffon Circle, in Bonesborough, though I can't be sure this is still his address. Miss Noceda, I must warn you about dealing with him. He is smart, cunning, and his morals or far from centered, I would strongly advise letting the police handle him." Luz knew he was right, but something was bothering her. If the police were primarily witches, and he's gotten to the point of absorbing magic, how would he be stopped? </p>
<p>  "Of course, I'll let them do their job, thank you for helping me do mine, sir," she responded respectfully, the least she could do for all of his help. </p>
<p>  "I am furious he never got a trial before, so to see him brought to justice now would truly be a blessing from the Titan," he remarked, an air of happiness about his voice. "Is there anything else I can do for you?" </p>
<p>  "I think that's all I need for now, but I'll be in touch if the need should arise, thank you again, and take care," and with that they both hung up the phone, Luz's fingers flying to type in Eda's number. </p>
<p>  "Detective Clawthorne, wait, it's you again isn't it, Luz?" She recognized the number at this point perhaps. </p>
<p>  "You remembered! Okay, so I think I have a lead, are you able to talk right now?" Luz made sure to phrase the question carefully, knowing that anyone could be listening. </p>
<p>  "Yup, I'm in my car, I'm all ears," she called out, and Luz recognized that her voice was being played through a speaker in the car. </p>
<p>  "Okay, so I found a possible suspect, Belos Delasari, address is 112 Griffon Circle, which I think is the rich part of town near the port," Luz was looking at her map on her phone, which showed the house by the coast, not 10 minutes from the place where Edric and Emira were taken. </p>
<p>  "Alright kid, sit tight, I'll call for a warrant and get backup on the way," the nagging feeling was back, what if Eda got hurt? What if they all got hurt in the process? She had to see this through, even if the idea terrified her. </p>
<p>  "Um, Eda, I want to go with you. I know it's dangerous, but I just can't help but feel something bad is going to happen if I don't," Luz was far from confident, but her voice told Eda that she was coming, one way or another. There was a brief pause from the other end of the phone where Luz could only hear the sound of the car's engine. </p>
<p>  "Are you sure you want to do this?" Eda sounded concerned, more concerned than any of the other times they had talked. </p>
<p>  "I have to do this, even if it turns out to be a bust, can you swing by and get me?" Luz stood up and began to walk out of her bedroom, alerting the other three still at the table. </p>
<p>  "Alrighty then, I'll be there soon, be prepared kid, this could get ugly." And with that, Eda hung up. Luz was not prepared, but she had a meal in her stomach, a bandaged hand, and human magic at her disposal, she was about as prepared as she could be. </p>
<p>  "Did you find anything out?" Amity called from the kitchen, a hint of concern touching her voice. Luz pondered on letting them know how much she was able to find out, thinking of it as a misguided way of protecting them, ultimately opting against that and just settling on the truth. </p>
<p>  "We have a lead, I'm joining the detective I've been speaking to and we're going to go check it out. You three sit tight, I shouldn't be gone too long. If my mami gets back before I do, just tell her the situation, or maybe don't, she might get worried. I don't know, this is hard, I've never had to worry about the safety of so many people at once," Luz scratched her head and Amity could see from the kitchen that Luz had let her short hair free of the hairband. Loose little waves brushed against her face, complimenting her chocolate eyes that had a twinkle in them from her own excitement. Amity felt her breath hitch in her throat, glossing over the news she'd just been given. </p>
<p>  "Uh, are you sure you wanna go with them? What if something happens to you?" Emira voice her concerns, knowing full well they were about to fall on deaf ears. </p>
<p>  "I feel like I need to do this, what happens if something happens to them and I was able to stop it?" Amity snapped back to her own thoughts, taking in the bomb that was just dropped on them. </p>
<p>  "Luz, what about you? What if something happens to you?" Amity posed the question with a deep rooted sense of concern, hoping to untangle her mind from the honey eyes staring back at her. </p>
<p>  "I mean, he can't do much, right? He needs his staff to control the magic and unless he has a spare, I don't think he could be much of a threat," Luz was drastically underestimating her opponent, likely due to her being afraid of the possible outcomes. Edric and Emira simply sighed, realizing by now it was like they were talking to a wall. Amity bit her lip, the idea of her new friend going off to her own death obviously didn't sit right with her, but how could she talk her out of it? </p>
<p>  "Luz, I just think that-" Amity began speaking before Edric put a hand on her shoulder. He gave her a knowing look, a look that let her know there wasn't any sense in arguing. </p>
<p>  "I'll get out at the first sign of danger, I promise," Luz walked over to Amity, placing a hand over hers. Amity's pale face lit up a shade of pink at the motion which seemed harmless and but a simple affirmation. Amity locked eyes with the woman standing over her, Luz realizing her own hand was still on top of hers, which she quickly withdrew, giving a nervous laugh. Edric and Emira shared a familiar smirk between them, silently planning a full scale assault on Amity's flustered demeanor after Luz has left. </p>
<p>  "That does make me feel a bit better, just please be careful," Amity gave her a tired smile, knowing now it wasn't worth it to talk her out of it. </p>
<p>  "Okay, so in the event of an emergency, like your magic gets stolen or something, there's a gun in the bottom drawer of the dresser in my mom's room. She keeps it there as a just in case, hopefully you won't need it, but now you know where it is in case you do." Luz was walking them through the steps on how to stay safe and made sure that they knew where everything was to make themselves at home. </p>
<p>  As she finished detailing everything, her phone began to ring, showing the number for Eda. </p>
<p>  "Hey Eda!" Luz called out as she slipped her taser into her pocket. </p>
<p>  "I'm outside, let's go catch a criminal," she called out before immediately hanging up. Luz just gave a grin to the Blights, her confidence unwavering in front of them. </p>
<p>  "I'll be back soon, wish me luck!" She called out as she stepped out the front door. As the door shut behind her, she sprinted off the porch and out the front gate. She threw open the door to Eda's cruiser, climbing in with the same spirit she had for the last twenty minutes. As Amity watched them drive away, she casually turned to meet the smirks of her siblings. </p>
<p>  "What? What did you do?" She was about to scold them, until they conjured an illusion in front of them. A perfect illusion of Luz. </p>
<p>  "Oh Luz, please be safe, I can't fawn over you if you don't come back," Edric said while stifling a laugh. </p>
<p>  "How ever will we learn more about each other and kiss romantically. Except that will just stay in my head and I won't ever tell you because I'm too shy," Emira joined in the teasing, leaving Amity red in the face from both embarrassment and anger. </p>
<p>  "I just met Luz today, and while she is very cool, and I will admit rather cute, I'm not going to push anything. We have a lot to learn about each other before it could even begin to come to something like that," Amity silenced the two, seeming to be more of an adult than her older siblings. </p>
<p>  "We're only messing with you, Mittens. Luz is a catch though, just listen to your heart on this one and you should be fine," Emira said with a kind tone to her voice. It was always baffling how her siblings could go from being insufferable to being so gentle and helpful. As they all bantered to each other, the sound of the back door unlocking alerted them that someone was making an entrance. They all peered into the kitchen as a short woman, with slightly darker skin than Luz and hair tied up entered from the back door without looking up. </p>
<p>  "Luz, are you home? I dropped my phone this morning and it's not working now," she called out while walking into the living room, meeting the eyes of all three Blights. She froze, and so did the siblings, all locking eyes. "Wh-who are you?" She demanded the response, trying not to scream. </p>
<p>  "I'm so sorry, I thought Luz had told you about us, but it's likely you didn't get her text. Um, I'm Amity Blight, these are my siblings, Edric and Emira. Luz helped me rescue them this morning after they were kidnapped last night. She said it'd be best if we stayed under the radar until they solve everything," she spoke up, and noticed Camila's shoulders were less tense. </p>
<p>  "That does sound like my bebé, where is she now?" She asked, and Amity shared a look of concern with the twins. </p>
<p>  "She, um, went with the police to go investigate someone," Amity did her best to give as little information that would alarm the woman as possible. </p>
<p>  "Oh, well it's good that she's getting work, I was so worried that she'd have a hard time starting up. I'm Camila, by the way, if Luz has invited you here, of course you're all welcome." She wandered back into the kitchen, taking note of the stew pot on the stove. </p>
<p>  "Well that went better than I expected it to," Edric whispered to his sisters, sitting down on the arm of the couch they were crowded around. They heard Luz's mom, who they now all knew as Camila, ladle a helping of stew in a bowl. </p>
<p>  "So what kind of person are they after? Is it the people who kidnapped you?" They heard her call out, Amity biting her lip. If she lied to her now and it came out later, that wouldn't look good, but if she told her the truth she'd only be able to worry about it. Amity stammered over her words, not being able to bring herself to say it for fear of the older woman's reaction. </p>
<p>  "It's um, hard to say, we don't know if the person they're going after was the one who kidnapped them or not," Amity said skirting around the idea of telling Camila the full truth. </p>
<p>  "That sounds dangerous, but I'm sure the police and my bebé can handle a couple of thugs like that," she walked into the living room with a bowl of stew in hand, by now it had surely cooled to the point of needing reheated, but she didn't seem to mind. </p>
<p>  "Amity, this isn't right, she deserves to know," Emira whispered at a slightly too audible volume. </p>
<p>  "Deserves to know what?" Camila asked, not ready to be blindsided by the Blights. </p>
<p>  "Luz is with the police in search of a serial killer," Edric blurted out quickly, which caught all three of them off guard. </p>
<p>  The sound of shattered glass met their ears as the bowl fell from the older woman's hands, a look of pure fear on her face.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'd like to thank everyone for their continued reading and support. This is my first time posting a fanfiction and I'm honestly surprised that it's been liked as much as it has been. See you all on Tuesday!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  Luz had built her confidence back up since the last time she was riding passenger that day, giving Eda the idea that the younger woman was not fully comprehending the gravity of the situation. She noticed her bandaged hand, looking like she'd punched a mirror based on how much bandaging was required. </p>
<p>  "Alright kid, I need you to stay back and let us handle the grunt work. I've already called for backup from my sister's precinct, and yes I already explained the situation to her," Eda had all her bases covered, showing she was prepared for anything. </p>
<p>  "Right, I'll stay back, and help if I'm needed," Luz gave her a thumbs up and Eda shook her head, letting out a light chuckle. </p>
<p>  "You remind me a lot of me when I was your age, way too enthusiastic for this kind of work," she laughed harder now. Luz was certainly more optimistic than she should be, but she didn't see it as much of a problem. Although today certainly proved that her overwhelming positivity has its limits. Luz sighed to herself, feeling her cheery demeanor begin to waver. </p>
<p>  "Eda, today scared me, to the point where I'm not sure after years of preparation that I can even handle this," Luz began, venting everything on her mind to the older woman. "I saw him, and when I broke his staff, I felt the energy of the people he's killed push back against me. I thought I was going to die, and I was afraid. I was so scared Eda, but I've come this far, does it ever get any easier?" Her composure broke and she felt the sting of tears threatening to come crashing out at any second. She just heard Eda give a long sigh. </p>
<p>  "Easier? I don't think so. I think you just begin to handle it better each time it comes up. This is your first real case, and it's a doozy, but you've done more for us in a day than any other PI has done for us through months of work. You're a natural, and I think you're gonna go far in your line of work." Eda was encouraging, she truly had a knack for being that mom friend that Luz saw her as. The younger woman leaned her head back against the headrest of the seat, pondering on her own life choices. Eda was obviously right, this was just a tough first case, not like everyone would be a serial killer. She would prefer a missing item by this point. Maybe she was being too hard on herself. </p>
<p>  Luz hadn't had much time to reflect on her decisions lately. It'd been one thing after another, back to back, and it was beginning to weigh on her mind. Was she responsible for safety of the Blights? Was it right to spring that on her mom? She realized she had done little in regards to prioritizing her own safety and well being in the last twelve hours. Who else in their early twenties was risking their lives for a trio of peculiar siblings? </p>
<p>  Someone has to help them, right? But why her? Why was she supposed to be playing hero when it wasn't even her job to be? Why is it the one time someone's enjoying being around her, they're basically forced to do so? Is Amity just being nice? No, surely not, she wouldn't do that, right? </p>
<p>  Why didn't people like being around her? She was cheerful, she put others first, she was fun to be around, so why didn't she have friends? </p>
<p>  No, stay focused, Eda needs you. Probably. Focused and positive, this was a conversation for therapy, not before a big breakthrough. She took a deep breath, steeling her resolve and put on a cocky smirk to fool herself into thinking she was in control of the situation. </p>
<p>  They arrived at the house in question after about fifteen minutes of driving, with two squad cars already outside. The house was lavish, clearly the owner presumably the suspect, was rich. A large driveway leading to what appeared to be a four car garage was prominent on the left side of the house, an array of topiaries in the front yard around a fountain gave an idea of how pretentious this guy was. All seemed to be trimmed into the shape of creatures Luz had never seen before, maybe demons from before our times when those were more common. </p>
<p>  Both Eda and Luz stepped out of the car after they had stopped, noticing the other officers were waiting for her. As Eda walked past the cars, they proceeded to get out and follow close behind her, ready to take on a killer. Eda walked up to the front door and gave several loud knocks. </p>
<p>  "Bonesborough PD, open the door." She called out that demand with force, like it's been more than enough times to get the cadence just right. After a few more knocks, the door opened to reveal a woman of diminutive stature, with red skin and off colored hair that resembled more of a hand than any hair she'd ever seen. </p>
<p>  "Can I help you, officer?" She called out, painfully unamused at their presence. </p>
<p>  "Yeah we're looking for a Belos Delasari, where can we find him?" Eda's tone was short, like she had no time to deal with hold ups. The small woman examined the old cop and seemed like she was about to retort before a noise behind her alerted both women at the door. The sound of a door, followed by footsteps approaching the front door. A man approached the door from out of immediate sight, garbed in a white cloak and a white, horned mask with what appeared to be a beak. Eda immediately drew a spell circle in the air aimed at the man, an obvious threat. </p>
<p>  "Calm down, officer, I'm turning myself in," the main said plainly, lacking any source sort of remorse from the tone of his voice. </p>
<p>  "You're what?" Demanded both women in front of him, nearly in unison. He didn't seem to react to the outburst at all, the only movement he made was to hold out his wrists for handcuffs. </p>
<p>  "But sir, you can't just hand yourself in when they have no evidence," the small woman protested, pleading with the man to understand her plight. </p>
<p>  "Kikimora, these officers have an eye witness, the private investigator just outside could easily identify me. But most importantly, the Titan has willed that I turn myself in," his voice sounded clear, but hollow, Like the voice was not his own. </p>
<p>  "Well, this was easier than I thought it'd be" Eda said quietly as she pulled a pair of handcuffs from her belt. She removed his gloves, showing hands that were covered in small scars, cuffing them onto him tightly. After his hands were secured, she grabbed his mask and proceeded to yank it off, noticing his small assistant averted her eyes so as not to look at him directly. </p>
<p>  His face was one Eda wouldn't soon forget. Burn scars encompassed most of his face, with minor scars on unburned areas. His bright blue eyes bored holes into the seasoned detective, as if trying to entrance her with only a gaze. She returned the gaze with her own cold glare, before beginning to read him his rights while two other officers patted him down for weapons. </p>
<p>  As they led him out and towards the squad car, Luz noticed that the air around him was still foul with twisted magic. He still held that magic potential within him, the potential that didn't belong to him. He was, to say the least, terrifying to the poor human. Getting to look at his features though did confirm her suspicions, rounded ears proving that he too was human. But how could he have absorbed potential then and still have it if his staff is broken and his gloves removed? She pondered on it as they got closer, realizing the closer they got the more she was filled with dread. </p>
<p>  "Miss Noceda, what was it like to feel the magic? You felt it when you broke my staff, surely. It must have felt exhilarating, for once in your life feeling powerful instead of pathetic," he spoke as if he knew the feeling well. She turned away from him, she wasn't going to let him know that, she did infact feel that power, and it was overwhelmingly powerful. The sound of Eda's voice broke the awkward tension that Luz was beginning to feel. </p>
<p>  "Yeah, yeah, power blah blah, shut up and get in the car," Eda said as she opened the back door to her cruiser, pushing the tall man inside. </p>
<p>  Another officer escorted the small red woman to one of the other cars and allowed her to crawl into the back, showing restraint. The remaining three officers were inside the mansion, seemingly taking things out that could qualify as evidence. Luz heard struggling as an officer brought out a cage with a small creature inside. </p>
<p>  "I demand to be released at once!" A voice called from the cage, which caught her attention, moving towards the officer with the holding the creature's small cell. As she she close, she could see a small, furry being inside, much resembling a bipedal, fuzzy fox. The majority of its head appeared to be a skull, with two horns protruding from the top, one broken off near the base. Its eyes were large and yellow, and as they locked onto Luz, he began to reach for her, silently pleading for her to help. She thought for a second, thinking about how there was never any indication about pets being banned at her current apartment. </p>
<p>  "Excuse me officer, do you mind if I take the small creature? He looks frightened and could maybe use a good home," she offered, and the officer simply shrugged. </p>
<p>  "We were probably going to have to take him to the pound anyway, so sure," he handed her the cage and the creature inside stuck out a small tongue at the man who was just holding him. </p>
<p>  "Nobody takes the king of demons to the pound!" He bellowed, which caused the man to simply roll his eyes. "And you, human! Release me from this cage, so that I can scurry around and climb you!" He pointed toward Luz accusingly, which brought a smile to her face. She couldn't believe how cute this little fuzzy demon was, though it begs the question, why was he here? The officer handed her the cage and walked away, where she set the cage down on the ground and unlocked it. Before she could open the door, he kicked it open and scurried up her pants, then her back and onto her shoulder. </p>
<p>  "You're a feisty one, aren't you?" Luz laughed as the creature perched himself on her shoulders. "So what's your name, pequeño bebé?" She asked, pulling him off of her shoulders and holding him out in front of her. </p>
<p>  "King! For I am the feared king of demons!" He called out proudly, watching as Luz simply nodded her head, agreeing with him. </p>
<p>  "Right, king of demons, I got that much. What was the king of demons doing here though in a place like this?" She asked, watching as a nervous look shifted across his face. </p>
<p>  "I, uh, I really don't want to talk about it," he was visibly shaken by the question, what was Belos doing with this little angel? She removed him from her shoulders and cradled him in the crook of her right arm, being mindful of her hand. The fuzzy demon struggled briefly but settled in before long, giving an audible yawn. She could feel his magical presence against her with him being so close. Maybe that madman was trying to take this poor creature's magic, which honestly wouldn't be a surprise at all. </p>
<p>  "Eda, we have a guest on our ride, I hope that's okay!" Luz called out as she began walking back towards the squad car. The older woman just stared at the young PI with the ball of fur nestled in her arm, shaking her head but clearly giving a small smile. As Eda climbed in, Luz used her free hand to pull the door open, climbing in immediately after. </p>
<p>  "So what's his name?" Eda asked while beginning to put the car back into motion, leaving the cleanup to the remaining officers. </p>
<p>  "He says his name is King, because he's the king of demons, but I think it's because he's the king of cuties, just look at that little tail!" Luz was in awe at how cute this little bundle of fur was, who had by this point fallen asleep in her arm. </p>
<p>  "Kid, you are a magnet for weird things, you know that?" Eda said, eyes focused on their destination. Luz wasn't offended by the sentiment either, she did tend to attract odd things wherever she went. She laughed,  bringing another smile to the older detective as well. </p>
<p>  "If I wasn't, I don't think I would've met you," the young woman continued to laugh, unaware of the pair of eyes that were firmly locked onto her from the back of the car. A cage separating the back seat from the front was their primary protection from the unhinged man not two feet from either of them. He seemed to be muttering something to himself, going unnoticed by the two women in the front until the muttering became more audible. </p>
<p>  "The Titan's will is mine, the Titan's will is mine, the Titan's will i-" he was cut short by Eda knocking the back of her hand against the caged divider. </p>
<p>  "Quiet down back there! I'm tired of hearing it," she sounded tired by this point, likely at wit's end from everything that's happened lately. He grew quiet before slamming his face against the divider. </p>
<p>  "The Titan has spoken to me, Luz Noceda, you will be the next to die."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  The ride back to the police station was at the least uncomfortable, after the arrested serial killer in the backseat advised Luz that her untimely demise would be next. One thing she made note of is his obsession with the Titan, he seems to be under the impression that he is able to speak with it directly. He has to just be unhinged, right? A lot of thoughts were going through Luz's head as they exited the car. Eda went around to the back of the car and opened the door, pulling Belos out by his cuffed hands. He seemed to be completely out of his mind, which maybe was hit goal. Get off on an insanity plea in court, get committed under the grounds of not being fit to stand trial. Or maybe he had just snapped, maybe the magic became too much for him to bear. </p>
<p>  A lot of maybe's. </p>
<p>  With King still in her arm, Luz followed Eda up the steps to the building, it was odd seeing the bright ornate columns and statues shine in the sunlight as opposed to gleaming under the streetlights. As they reached the top, a thought came to mind for Luz. </p>
<p>  Why did he turn himself in? He could easily have absorbed magic from them and fought back, but he just gave him and his assistant up with no fight. Unless this was his plan. No way to know until they interrogate him, though. As they all entered the building, it was unusually quiet, the sounds of their footsteps echoing throughout the open room. Luz noticed Eda glancing around, clearly unsettled by the state of the station. She took him down to get him booked, which would allow her to begin interrogating him. A few other officers were wandering up and down the halls of the precinct, but it was primarily empty. Eda waited around for booking to get Belos's mugshot and take his fingerprints, still glancing around anxiously. </p>
<p>  "Hey, this uh, this isn't normal, is it?" Luz asked as she stood near Eda, feeling a level of discomfort she couldn't put her finger on. </p>
<p>  "Definitely not, something happened while I was out, but we have to get this psycho into the interrogation room as soon as we can," Eda was nervous and it showed. She idly tapped her foot as she waited, each second feeling like an eternity with such a high risk convict in her custody. It didn't take booking long before Belos was escorted back out and essentially returned to Eda. She looked at him, a vacant stare adorned his face as if he had checked out mentally. She grabbed his arm and began leading him down the hall again, stopping at a few doors near the end, turning to Luz once again. </p>
<p>  "You wait in here, and if anything happens, get out while you can." She said, her voice low, clearly she anticipated things going south soon, but what could honestly happen? Luz nodded and walked in, noticing it was a room with a one way window for viewing the interrogation room. She saw a few seats near the center of the small room, a small coffee pot on a stand near the back. Other than that the room was mostly barren, so she took a seat and watched as Eda took Belos into the room she had a perfect view of. She connected the chain of the handcuffs to a small bar on the table to prevent him from moving around too much. </p>
<p>  "You're making a terrible mistake by bringing me here, Edalyn Clawthorne," his voice was low, menacing, but the older woman just stared at him, with a bored, unblinking look upon her face. </p>
<p>  "Yeah, I'll be the judge of that. Why don't you tell me about the victims you murdered? All eight of them." She was not beating around the bush, and her tone suddenly shifted, becoming darker, more intimidating. He didn't appear phased, though, as a slight grin crept on his face. </p>
<p>  "There's not much to say, they were alive, and now they're not. A shame to hear, truly. But officer, why don't you tell me more about yourself, surely you're not strictly by the books," he was trying his best to deflect, but Eda just stared him down, showing she wasn't going to play along with him. </p>
<p>  "Did you use your staff to cut them open? To absorb their magical potential? Or did you have help?" If she was angry, it wasn't showing, her face just reading as cold, and unforgiving. Luz watched on as she grilled him for information, not noticing the door had opened. The sound of the seat next to her being taken alerted her to a tall woman's presence. She was thin, in uniform, with jet black hair. Luz could instantly recognize her face. </p>
<p>  "You're Lilith, Eda's sister, right?" She asked quietly, as if the sound from her voice would destroy the glass in front of her. The older woman simply looked over at the her, and offered a tired smile. </p>
<p>  "I am, and you must be the PI that Eda has told me about, she talks quite highly of you," Lilith smiled at the sleeping creature tucked cozily into Luz's arm and turned her attention forward to watch as her sister demanded answers from the deranged man who sat before her. </p>
<p>  "I'm just doing my best!" Luz said with a little too much enthusiasm, catching herself afterwords as maybe the situation didn't call for that much excitement. </p>
<p>  "Well, if you're ever in the area and we need help, I'll happily give you a call. Not many could bring in a murderer on their first case." Her gaze never shifted from watching the expressions of the man chained to the table in the other room. </p>
<p>  "So why humans and not witches? Surely you'd get more magic from us, right?" Eda's voice broke the noise between the two in the other room, and seemingly a mood shift moved across her prisoner's face. </p>
<p>  "Witches harbor an immense amount of magic. Trying to absorb so much magic from a dying witch proved to be less than stellar, so I had to start small before I moved up. Though I was about to take that next step before your 'friend' so rudely interrupted." That confirmed that he was about to kill Edric and Emira, he was about to begin ascending magically. </p>
<p>  "I heard she got you good, broke your staff and tased you," Eda threw her head back and let out an uproar of laughter, which seemed to irritate Belos, a look of pure disdain on his face. </p>
<p>  "She did in fact, but she made a mistake by joining you here, and you're all going to suffer the consequences for crossing me," his voice was low when he said it, so it was almost inaudible to the two watching the interrogation. As Eda was about to continue pressing him, the sound of an explosion outside the room rocked everyone in the immediate vicinity. The door was kicked open and in ran a half dozen figures dressed in white clocks, with beaked masks that resembled the skull of a bird. They all wielded staves that appeared similar to Luz's description of the original one Belos wielded, and all were pointed at Eda, where she just stared in awe at the small army before her. The sound of fighting down the hall led her to believe that this wasn't a simple rescue mission for his lackeys, he was trying to take control of everything. </p>
<p>  "Edalyn!" Lilith called out, summoning a staff from nothing, a white raven adorning the top, and shattering the glass that separated them. With a wave of compressed air shot from her staff, she knocked over most of the group and motioned for Eda to climb through the now shattered window. As she hopped through, the sound of Belos' laughter hit their ears. </p>
<p>  "Try to run, but your magic will be mine!" He yelled out, finally beginning to struggle against his bindings. King had begun to stir, but ultimately even with all of the chaos, nothing seemed to wake him. As the trio flung open the door, the scene was abysmal. What few officers were left in the station were trying to fend off the numerous masked assailants who had flooded in from a demolished section of wall. There had to be at least another dozen not including the six still in the interrogation room. Eda and Lilith seemingly had no problem clearing a path, and Eda called her own staff, a contrast to her sisters. A brown owl sat atop hers, but both sisters seemed in sync as they launched a burst of energy from their respective staves at a small group of intruders. The impact knocked several of their masks from their faces, and as the three ran past them, Luz recognized them as members of the Bonesborough PD. That's how he's known everything. He planned this. He wanted to be found so he could do this. </p>
<p>  "Luz, you've got to get out of here, Lily and I will buy you some time, but you have to go!" Eda called out as she cracked a masked assailant over the head with her staff. </p>
<p>  "I can't just leave you! What if something happens to you?" She nearly yelled. The masked group began to close in on them, their staves all pointed at them. Luz noticed that the ambient glow from their staves were all red, which seemed like an odd detail. Wouldn't the colors be different if they were all channeling their own magic? </p>
<p>  "Kid, if you don't get out of here, we're all gonna be in trouble." Although it may have already been too late. Belos, with his mask back on and a staff in hand began walking towards them from down the hall. Luz had to act fast, maybe there's not much to those staves? She glanced over at the unconscious man who Eda whacked with her staff, his staff laid intact beside him. Acting quick, she tossed King to Lilith and sprinted to grab it, clutching the cold metal in her hand. She pointed it at Belos who hesitated, clearly unnerved by what she was holding. Why the sudden change of pace? </p>
<p>  "Miss Noceda, I don't believe you want to find out what happens if you use that staff. Hand it over and accept your death peacefully." He held out a hand for her to hand him the staff. He was scared of her using it, which means it must have a lot of power behind it. Eda and Lilith were watching Luz tentatively as her grip on the metal staff only seemed to tighten. One of the masked members fired preemptively at Eda and Lilith, missing, and instinctively Luz turned her attention to them. She immediately focused, and without hesitation, a red beam of light shot from the staff. It hit the member directly in the chest, the impact knocking the mask from his face. There, Luz was able to see the damage she'd done. His eyes were devoid of life, empty and cold. </p>
<p>  She'd just killed someone. Luz Noceda had just killed another living being. In the immediate chaos that followed, Eda planted her staff on the ground, and created a dense mist that filled the building. She grabbed Luz by the arm and pushed Lilith in the right direction, the three of them sprinting out the front. Luckily it seemed that all of them had come in through the back as her squad car was untouched. As Lilith climbed in the passenger seat, Eda practically had to throw Luz into the back seat as she seemed nearly unresponsive now. Eda jumped into the driver's seat, turning on the car, looking briefly behind her as she sped off down the road. They didn't seem to be following them, so flight didn't seem like a thing those staves could do. Lilith looked back at Luz, who just stared in horror at her own two hands. She had killed someone. She took their life, with her own hands. </p>
<p>  "Edalyn," Lilith said quietly, grabbing the woman's attention. Eda briefly looked over at her, and the black haired witch just motioned towards the back of the car. Looking into the rear view mirror, she saw the look on the young woman's face. </p>
<p>  "Kid, I know what you did back there was bad, but you saved us, without you we would have been goners," she was trying to give her a pep talk, but Luz wasn't taking in anything she was saying. She was just staring at the two hands that just prematurely ended someone's life. Lilith just put her hand on Eda's shoulder, indicating that perhaps it was better to let Luz process the information and then comfort her. She just nodded, attempting to hurry to her destination. </p>
<p>  They pulled up in the alley behind The Noceda residence, right now the first place Eda thought of that would be safe. Lilith helped Luz out of the car, noticing the vacant look in her eyes beginning to dissipate as her surroundings became more familiar. She was still silent as they walked her through the gate and up the stairs to the back porch. Not waiting for an answer, Eda twisted the doorknob, and upon finding it unlocked, pushed the door open with a little more force than was necessary. </p>
<p>  "Excuse me officers, you can't just barge into-" Camila began, before she cut herself off. There was Luz, her baby, with a look she'd never seen before on the young girl's face. Pure, tangible horror. </p>
<p>  "Ms. Noceda, can I speak with you for a second?" Eda asked as she tried to lead Camila back into the living room. She noticed the three green haired adults all crowded around the couch, a question for after. </p>
<p>  "What happened to my bebé?" Camila quietly demanded as soon as they were out of hearing range. </p>
<p>  "A large group of masked assailants attacked the police station while we were there, we only made it out alive because of your daughter. She acted in self defense, but she took the life of one the people trying to take ours, and now she's in shock. She's not going to be okay for awhile, so just be there for her," Eda put her hand on Camila's shoulder, in some poor attempt to comfort the woman. </p>
<p>  "My Luz did what?" Camila almost yelled, but managed to lower her voice mid sentence. Surely this officer wasn't referring to her daughter, right? Luz could never do something like that. </p>
<p>  "I honestly don't think she meant to, but it happened, you should go be with her for when she starts coming down from the shock," Eda said as she moved aside for Camila to walk past her, which clearly she had no intention of staying for that conversation any longer. Luz was sitting at the kitchen table, head clutched in her hands. How was what she did ever going to be okay? What if he had a family? Kids? A wife? She just removed him from all of their lives. </p>
<p>  "Luz, bebé, come here," her mother went to her and pulled her daughter into an embrace. Luz was quiet for a short while before gripping her mother's back in the hug. </p>
<p>  "Mamí?" Luz asked quietly, almost inaudible if her mother wasn't so close. </p>
<p>  "I'm here, what is it?" She called out softly, so as not to startle her. There was a brief pause before Luz spoke again, tears threatening to come crashing through at any moment. </p>
<p>  "What do I do now?"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you all for your continued support!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Updates might slow down a bit. I'm currently working on another fanfiction with an OC in it, but I haven't decided if it's worth posting yet.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  It had been a few hours since the station incident and introductions were made. Camila had escorted Luz to her room shortly after she comforted her. Truth be told, she didn't know what to tell her, so she just told her everything would be okay. Within minutes of lying down, and the adrenaline finally having drained to empty, Luz was asleep. Everyone was standing idly in the living room, becoming increasingly aware that this living room wasn't exactly made for large gatherings. </p>
<p>  "So let me get this straight, Luz took your case, despite knowing the police, who she was currently working with, were possibly corrupt. Not only that, but the two of you stormed the building, rescued your brother and sister, and even after all that, Luz still wanted to come along to make sure I was alright?" Eda spoke with increasing concern as she talked with Amity, who simply nodded her head. </p>
<p>  "When you put it like that, it makes her sound reckless and crazy, but yeah, that's exactly what happened. I told her she didn't need to come save them with me, but honestly if she hadn't, all of us wouldn't be sitting here right now," Amity reflected, thinking about how Luz injured herself just to save them, and how she was ready to lay down her life to save Eda and Lilith. </p>
<p>  "It is reckless and crazy!" Eda practically cried out, and Camila took notice of her concern for Luz. "But I also can't deny that we'd essentially be in the same boat if she hadn't tagged along. I feel so bad for her though, I hate that she got swept up into this." The old cop sighed as she leaned back against the wall, looking around the room to survey everyone's current expressions. A long pause between everyone left a lingering, uncomfortable silence before anyone spoke again. </p>
<p>  "Uh, Camila, do you have local news by any chance?" Edric asked hesitantly while looking up from his phone. </p>
<p>  "Of course, hang on," she walked over and grabbed the TV remote from its place beside the TV, flipping it on and turning a few channels to a local news station. There, was an aerial view of the Mayor's building, a large armored truck out front. The masked men from the precinct could be seen outside the building, with presumably more inside. </p>
<p>  "We're watching live as a presumed terrorist group is currently attempting to take control of Bonesborough City Hall, no word yet from police as to how they intend to handle the situation." The man in the helicopter called out to presumably thousands of viewers. </p>
<p>  "I've managed to get ahold of my station and it seems like the same thing happened there too, so right now, we're down more than ninety percent of our officers," Lilith said with disdain, and the air hung heavy. Once again silence enveloped everyone as they waited for the reporter to once again begin speaking. </p>
<p>  "That man is really insane, all he cares about is power, that's why he was experimenting on me, to find any source of magic he could steal." King spoke up, his tiny body nestled into the couch. </p>
<p>  "So he just has a cult of followers ready and willing to do this? Why hasn't he done it sooner?" Emira asked to the room, and no one seemed to have an answer. </p>
<p>  "He was waiting for someone to find him, so he kidnapped someone important, made himself known, and mobilized his men when he knew that the police would come for him. He played everyone, including me," Luz's voice came from behind them, which startled her mother who had her back turned to the door. It was flat, seemingly drained of any emotion from what anyone could tell. Her eyes shifted up and met Amity's, clear pain behind the once vibrant, chocolate eyes. </p>
<p>  "So he's been one step ahead this entire time," Eda mumbled to herself, clearly upset she had been outdone. As Amity got up to go to Luz to make sure she was alright, the reporter began speaking again. </p>
<p>  "Folks we have an incoming transmission from inside the City Building, we're going live to the broadcast," he said as there was a crackling before the transmission shifted over to the familiar face. Belos. He was sitting in the Mayor's chair behind a large wooden desk, a blood splatter across his mask. </p>
<p>  "Good people of Bonesborough, I bring joyous news. The Titan has willed it that I am to unify this land under one ruler, in preparation for the Day of Unity. From now on, I shall be your new ruler, you shall bow before the name Emperor Belos, or be crushed by the might of the Emperor's Coven." And with that, the broadcast cut back to the reporter who just appeared to be staring down at the building for a brief moment before looking back to the camera pointed towards him. There was a look of hesitation on his face, unsure of how to continue the broadcast, but after a few more moments of silence, he finally cleared his throat, signaling the return of his composure. </p>
<p>  "Well folks, this has been a terrifying turn of events. The organization has seized control of the building and presumably overthrown our way of life as it stands. We don't know what these terrorists are planning with this supposed day of Unity, but it's safe to say it's nothing good. Please stay indoors and stay safe, this is Gus Porter, signing off," and with that, the news cut back to two people in a building behind a large desk discussing what just happened. Eda grabbed the remote and turned the TV off, huffing as she walked through the house and out the back door. </p>
<p>  "We have to do something, right? Like, we can't just sit here and wait for them to kill people as they please for their power grab." Edric spoke up, but no one seemed to have an immediate answer. Luz looked away with guilt in her eyes, the weight of today taking its toll on her once more. She couldn't handle the idea of losing anyone close to her, but at the same time, how could she help if she had to do what she did again? </p>
<p>  "Luz, you don't have to be involved if you don't want to. But you have been the brains of this operation up to this point, is there any ideas you might have?" Amity had gotten up and went over to the somber young woman, taking her hand and holding it, showing she was right there with her. Luz seemed to actually be pondering the idea instead of immediately shutting it out, which was a start. She knew she had to be involved, she was the only one able to fully detect magic. But that would mean at some point she'd probably have to kill Belos, and the thought of taking another life, well, she just couldn't. There had to be something about the things that he used, something about his gauntlets and the staff. Something had to be connecting them if all his henchman had the same abilities he did. Something at the source. </p>
<p>  What if it was literally a source? Something so magically powerful, it was able to draw on all magic around it. But what could possibly be powerful enough to do that? It's not like he's a Titan or something. A Titan.  Maybe this has something to do with the Titan. </p>
<p>  "Where's Eda?" Was all Luz asked quietly, her voice sounding strained. </p>
<p>  "She went out back, likely to clear her head. Edalyn can get a bit heated at times when things start going the wrong way," Lilith said, obviously basing her answer from experience. Luz gave Amity a weak smile before heading past her towards the back door, finding Eda sitting on the back porch with her head in her hands. The sound of the door closing alerted the older detective to her presence, but she didn't do much aside from look at the young PI and hang her head low again. Luz joined her, sitting a few feet from her on the top step of the porch. </p>
<p>  "I let my squad down, I couldn't save most of them. If I hadn't sent Viney and Jerbo to watch over you, they'd have probably been caught up in that too," Eda spoke softly, clearly blaming herself for what transpired. </p>
<p>  "Eda, there's no way you could have known. You had undercover terrorists inside the police station. You making it out alive means that you can bring peace to them when we free their magic. Do you know if Willow made it out okay?" Willow had seemed like such a bright ball of sunshine, Luz would make an exception to kill Belos if anything happened to her. </p>
<p>  "She was off today, so thankfully she should be home safe," Eda sighed as long as she could before taking a breath. This was obviously hard on her too, and understandably so. </p>
<p>  "That's great news, and I might have some sort of idea as to how Belos is doing all of this. How thoroughly did the other officers search his house?" Luz posed the question and Eda realized that the officers who were with them may have been part of his organization. </p>
<p>  "I'm going to guess not very well, why?" She asked tiredly, the day beginning to drag her down further. </p>
<p>  "What if the reason he spoke so often about the Titan was because he believe he WAS communicating with it. What if he had something connected to the Titan and that's how he's getting all of his abilities?" As Luz posed the question to her, she could see some life return to Eda's drained face. There was a lot riding on this, but they had no other leads at the moment. </p>
<p>  "We need to go now then, while he's still preoccupied at the city building. I understand if you don't want to go, with everything that's happened today, and I'm certainly not going to force you." Eda watched as Luz gave her a weak smile, clearly not okay, but trying to be strong. </p>
<p>  "I said I'd see this through, and I'd hate to be a liar now on top of everything else I'd done today," Luz gave a small laugh, attempting to hide her pain again. "I just need to get some water, and let my mami know." She said as she got up, walking back inside and grabbing the bottle of water she had gotten out earlier and took a long drink. As she looked down from giving tilting her head all the back to finish the bottle, she noticed all eyes in the living room were on her. </p>
<p>  "Luz honey, what are you planning?" Her mother gave her a knowing look, realizing that her daughter had that look of determination back in her eyes. The young woman just swallowed hard before walking up to her mother. </p>
<p>  "I'm uh, I'm going back out there, I have a hunch and so far my gut hasn't been wrong. I know it's dangerous, and I'm probably going to need some serious therapy after this, but I can rest when all of this is over." Luz wasn't going to take no for an answer, and although the look of concern from her only parent hurt her, she was slowly returning to her same stubborn and determined self. </p>
<p>  "I won't stop you, but I will tell you to be careful. Are you sure you want to do this, though?" Camila could still see the exhaustion behind her daughter's determined eyes, and most of her wanted her to not go, but it was ultimately Luz who decided what to do with her own life. </p>
<p>  "I have to do it, now more than ever. Lilith, could you please keep everyone safe?" She asked the older cop, who she still hadn't learned the rank of. Lilith just offered her that same small smile from before. </p>
<p>  "It's the least I can do for all that you've done for me," Lilith was as sincere as she could be, her bright blue eyes reassuring Luz that everyone would be well taken care of. </p>
<p>  "Thanks, Eda and I will take care of this, if anything should go south, we'll try to let you know so you can get everyone to safety." As she was talking with Lilith, a hand was placed on her shoulder. Looking over, her eyes met Amity's, sharing the same look of determination as her own. </p>
<p>  "I want to come with you, I want to help in anyway I can." She offered, despite knowing full well the gravity of the situation. </p>
<p>  "Amity, what if they absorb your magic?" Luz posed the question, though judging by how she barely reacted, she presumed she had already thought of that. </p>
<p>  "I have other magic, Luz. Much less direct magic than what I used earlier. Besides, Eda would be in the same boat too if that happened." Amity did have a point, what would the older cop do in that situation? Maybe Eda had a gun? Luz thought back to the precinct, no one absorbed magic when it was used, so maybe only Belos could do that. That would be a benefit if he was the only one who could. </p>
<p>  "Okay, yeah, the extra help would be nice. Thanks Amity, you don't have to do this though, just so we're clear," she wasn't trying to talk her out of it, but it could certainly be interpreted that way. </p>
<p>  "Edric, Emira, we'll be back, guaranteed." Amity said fiercely, and Luz could only admire her confidence. They were so different but so alike in many ways, which was such a unique feeling for her. The twins shared a concerned look between each other but ultimately gave her a thumbs up. So Luz and Amity headed out the back door, noticing Eda was waiting for them. </p>
<p>  "We should take my car, less conspicuous than a cop car," Amity offered, which Eda pondered over for a few seconds before nodding her head. </p>
<p>  "Good call kid, lemme grab something real quick though," She said as she reached into the passenger side of her car and into the glove box, retrieving a pistol. Luz was right, at least. She also reached into the back seat and withdrew the staff that the young PI was all too familiar with. She unintentionally flinched, and Eda noticed immediately. "Don't worry, I'm not about to make you use it again if you can't. I'm just bringing it as extra insurance incase we run into trouble. It'll stay in the backseat with me." She reassured Luz the best she could, and she saw her ease up, breathing becoming steady again. They piled into Amity's car, Luz noticing that she had bled on the passenger's seat when she was injured earlier. She'd definitely pay Amity back for the cleaning that this was gonna require. </p>
<p>  The engine roared to life and they sped off down the road, hoping that this connection with the Titan would be enough to stop the Coven from bringing the world to it's knees.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Wasn't too happy with how this chapter turned out, but I'm feeling confident in the segue between this one and the next.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  Luz found that she was no less apprehensive than she was immediately following the precinct incident. It was a strange feeling, having the tightness in your chest not go away even as you pressed into it with your hand. Having your breathing be stifled as you try to take deep breaths. She was so scared after what happened, but she needed to be strong, even if just for a little while longer. She felt a hand on her shoulder which caused her to jump, ripping her from her thoughts. She followed the hand to its attached person, revealing it belonged to Amity whose eyes remained on the road. </p><p>  "Luz, how are you holding up?" She asked with concern behind her words, clearly seeing how this was all affecting the poor PI. Luz just stared at her for a brief moment before looking down at her own hands. Her silence was an answer, and Amity was more than ready to just accept it, but still Luz found a way to move forward. </p><p>  "I don't really know, this has all been really hard, you know? Never in my life did I think I'd be involved in a conspiracy of non-magical users rising to take power, but here I am. This has been a crazy day for sure, and I just want it to be over, but if I just let things go, more people will get hurt, and more people might die." Luz was animated with her movements, showing Amity that the same eccentric woman was still there behind the wall of trauma that's been building over the day. It was staggering to see the young woman deal with so much and still be able to bounce back like she was. </p><p>  "What about you, though? You didn't need to come with but you insisted, how are feeling?" Luz posed the question to Amity, who offered an expression that could be classified as a nervous smirk. She was clearly hesitant about the situation, but who could blame her? </p><p>  "I'm scared, more scared than I've ever been. But you risked your life to save my brother and sister, the least I can do is help you stop this guy. Plus he's clearly gonna come for us anyway, so it's not like we're safe." Luz found herself nodding to her, though not knowing what else to say. She settled on gratitude, considering the situation. </p><p>  "Well, I'm thankful that you've got my back. I couldn't imagine trying to do this alone!" Luz was doing her best to keep a positive face, which she found to be more and more difficult since things had begun to transpire. She sat back in her seat reflecting on the events at the precinct earlier. Eda was right, Luz had done what she needed to do. They were all still alive because of what she did, though that didn't really help with her own self image. Maybe it was necessary, but that didn't take away from the fact that she still killed someone. Maybe some day she could learn to forgive herself. </p><p>  The drive seemed shorter than last time, maybe because Amity was speeding the entire way, but who's to say? Belos's mansion was looming over the three women as they exited the vehicle. The officers from earlier had obviously left, and it left the place eerily quiet. As they approached the manor, Luz could feel that same presence of sickening energy from before. Something was here. They reached the front door, Eda taking the lead, and checked the handle. It was still unlocked, which seemed a bit strange, but as she pushed the door open, the echoes of the door sounded through the empty foyer. The place felt hollow, as if no one had actually lived in it. </p><p>  Upon entering the mansion, Luz was immediately overwhelmed by an unsettling sensation. It wasn't unlike what she felt back in the warehouse when she broke the staff, which was even more alarming. She clutched her stomach as it became too overwhelming, alerting Amity to her current feeling of unease. She approached Luz, putting her hand on her back, showing her support for the PI currently doing her best to maintain composure. </p><p>  "There's definitely something here, but it's too overwhelming to pinpoint. Maybe look for a basement or something?" Luz posed to the other two women as they looked around the dimly lit room. Eda walked over and flicked on the lights, revealing just how intricate the design of the main room was. Red mahogany adorned with gold trim was the main focus for the furniture and stairs, with a massive chandelier. Eda scoffed immediately as she looked around the room. </p><p>  "These rich schmucks don't know what a hard life is. No offense, Amity," she managed to add just as the pale woman turned her head to glare at her. </p><p>  "Should we split up or stick together?" Amity asked to Luz, who just shrugged. </p><p>  "Probably should split up to cover more ground, I'm just worried about how big this place is, and if there might be anyone waiting for us." Luz was thorough, one of the reasons that made her a good PI. Eda, however, shook her head. </p><p>  "We should stick close, just incase he has his goons guarding what we're looking for." She made sure her gun was loaded before putting in a holster on her hip. She still had the mechanical staff in her hand, keeping a firm grip on it. As she led the way through the large manor, the absence of any workers or guards made gave the massive building an overwhelmingly empty feeling. As they entered a large kitchen area that overlooked a backyard, it was apparent that the house was likely just for Belos and his assistant. Few items were in the kitchen, leaving it feeling barren. A door in the corner of the room caught Luz's attention, and as she walked over to it, another wave of magic assaulted her, much more intense than before. This was the right door. </p><p>  "Over here, I think there's something behind this door," she called out to the other two, and Eda motioned for her to move away. She handed Amity the staff and drew her firearm, keeping a firm grip on it. She cautiously opened the door, and upon seeing nothing behind it but a set of stairs leading down, she eased back and opened the door all the way. A long staircase that led into darkness was all they could see, with walls on both sides. Eda flicked on a flashlight before turning to look back at the two younger women. </p><p>  "Stay close, and if anything happens, get out as fast as you can," she spoke softly, but with a serious tone about her voice. Luz and Amity shared a look of concern before turning back to Eda who had taken the first step down. The stairs were stone, so the clicks of their shoes seemed to echo through the narrow stairwell, giving an uncomfortable hollowness to the corridor. Luz could feel her heartbeat in her ears, drumming softly as they did their best to quietly descend. The further down they went, the further it seemed to go on, and by the time anything changed, the light from the kitchen was now but a small, luminous square, barely distinguishable from their current position. Her heartbeat only seemed to get louder as a door came into view at the bottom of the stairs. It wasn't until they were at the door that Luz realized that the heartbeat she had been hearing wasn't her own. The gentle beating was coming from the door, or hopefully from whatever was behind the door. Maybe someone banging on drums? Eda motioned for Luz and Amity to step back, and upon seeing she had sufficient space, kicked the door open, gun drawn. </p><p>  "Bonesborough PD!" She shouted as she rushed the room. There was no one there, but as the other two entered, Luz immediately saw what was causing the beating. In the center of the enormous room, connected to an array of machines, was a massive heart. The heart was beating with gentle rhythm, kept alive by whatever machines were hooked up to it. </p><p>  "A Titan's heart, how is it here?" Amity asked quietly, bewildered by the massive organ that seemed to loom over them. </p><p>  "Belos must have found some way to steal it from the Boiling Isles, considering that's where the last Titan died." Eda paced around the room, looking at the machinery that seemed to be doing its job quite well. Luz walked up to the heart, and tentatively placed a hand on its apex, instantly becoming overwhelmed by the flood of magic that pushed against her. This was it. This was what fueled Belos and all of his organization's magic. She fell to her knees as the sensation became too much, the urge to vomit now a real fear. </p><p>  "Luz!" Amity yelled as she ran to her friend's side. "Are you okay? What did you feel?" She asked, trying to help her to her feet. Luz simply smiled at her weakly and graciously accepted the offer. Upon standing, she put her hands on her knees and hunched over, willing her stomach to calm down. </p><p>  "This is it. It feels exactly like the magic that Belos used, so I think this is his source." Luz said as she attempted to stand up straight, teetering a bit before gaining her full composure. Eda laughed, which seemed like a good sign. </p><p>  "Easy peasy then, we just unhook the machines, the heart dies, we stop their organization, and Bonesborough is saved." She said as she began walking over to the machines. </p><p>  "Wait, he could just find a way to bring it back. We have to destroy it." Luz said as she turned to Eda, seeing the older woman stop just before pressing buttons that she didn't know what they did. </p><p>  "Isn't it weird that this room was unguarded?" Amity asked, drawing both the other women's attention to her. </p><p>  "You know, now that you mention it, yeah, that is a tad unsettling. But no sense in thinking about it now, let's just kill this heart and get out of here." Eda said as she spun the mechanical staff in her hand. The machines near her began to beep rapidly, a red light flashing on the terminal. The loud noise began to grow as more of the machines the heart was connected to started to mimic the same sound. The heart began to beat faster as if it were experiencing some sort of shock. Luz looked in panic at the flashing red lights, immediately becoming reminded of the flash of red from earlier. </p><p> </p><p>  From the dark corners of the other end of the massive room, came a low, guttural growl, alerting all three of them to it immediately. The sound of loud steps began to move closer, clearly whatever was approaching them was quite large. That would explain why there were no apparent guards at least. </p><p>  "Eda, do you have any idea what this thing might be in case we need to get out, like, now?" Luz asked through a shaky breath, tangible fear in her voice. Red lights began to illuminate a massive body walking on all four legs as it drew closer. </p><p>  "Yeah, I think I have a pretty good idea what we may be up against," she hesitated as she set the mechanical staff down and summoned her own. It was now on the other side of the heart, white fur illuminated blood red by the lights. Its mouth was massive, and no eyes were visible from their perspective. As it stepped around the heart, everyone took a step back at how truly enormous it was. </p><p>"That," Eda began, "Would be the Slitherbeast."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I mentioned a few chapters ago that updates would slow down yet here we are.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  Eda launched a ball of fire from her staff towards the hulking beast that was standing over them, drawing its attention. It let out a low roar, clearly unhappy with the burn left on the side of its massive head. Though it was apparently tasked to defend the heart, it was unceremoniously stomping any machinery in its way to get to the older woman. Eda used the mobility of her staff to expertly avoid its stomping feet and large fangs. Grabbing the metal staff from earlier, she tossed it to Amity before moving again to avoid being crushed. </p>
<p>  "I don't think my taser is going to do much against this thing!" Luz called out to Eda, panic in her voice. Amity just stared at the staff in her hands before looking at the heart. Killing the heart of the Titan, what strange chain of events could ever lead to this moment. As she gripped the staff, she ran to the heart, ready to impale it while Eda kept the Slitherbeast busy. As she was about to make contact with it, she stopped, lowering the staff. Luz just stared at her as she turned, face devoid of emotion. </p>
<p>  "Amity! What happened?" Luz called out to her, but the green-haired witch simply stared straight ahead, not meeting her gaze. </p>
<p>  "Luz Noceda, you are acting against the Titan's will. Submit and face the Day of Unity." Her voice sounded like a jumbled mass of voices, spliced together to create the horrible dissonance. That's exactly what she heard from Belos before, when his voice sounded hollow. </p>
<p>  "Uh, Eda, we have another situation!" Luz yelled out as Amity approached her, seeing the older woman delivering quick strikes to the Slitherbeast as it pursued her. </p>
<p>  "I'm kind of busy right now! Just tase her if you have to!" Eda yelled as she backstepped a downward swipe from the massive beast. She spun her staff and planted it on the ground, and out from the ground sprung two large icy spikes then embedded themselves into its arms, pinning it to the wall. It thrashed about violently, showing that the ice wouldn't hold for long. </p>
<p>  "I can't do that! She's my friend!" Luz said as she tentatively approached Amity. The pale woman seemed to be relatively unresponsive, so with a shaky breath, Luz took the staff from her hands, gently pushing her to the side. This was it. Time to end all of this. She raised the pointed end to the heart, and as she swung, an overwhelming sensation assaulted her mind. It was as if something was trying to speak to her, to plead with her. </p>
<p>  You're making a mistake, the Day of Unity cannot be stopped, you must not kill me now. </p>
<p>  "I can't risk what that means for everyone else, I'm sorry, but you have to go!" Luz yelled out as if the voice projected into her head had spoken out loud. She swung down as hard as she could, the sharp part of the staff piercing through the tough muscle with relative ease. As she tore from what appeared to be the cardiac vein to the apex, a gross, viscous fluid rushed out and began pooling onto the floor. It washed over their feet, and Luz looked to Amity who held her head in her hands, trying to shake off the influence of the fallen Titan. The Slitherbeast let out a roar as it broke free of the ice, but being pinned had given Eda enough time to draw a spell circle, pushing it forward and sending it towards the mighty beast. As it made contact, the beast let out a low rumble from its throat, before laying on the floor and apparently falling asleep. </p>
<p>  "Well that sure was a mess," Eda said as she walked over to Luz, putting a hand on her shoulder before taking the mechanical staff from her. Luz hadn't realized how hard she was gripping the staff until she let go, her hands immediately beginning to cramp. She did it though, that should stop the Titan's influence over the organization at the very least. As the Titan's blood interacted with the machines that had originally kept the heart beating, it began to cause them to short circuit, and Eda had to push Amity and Luz to safety away from the pool of blood that had formed. She led them towards the steps that went back up to the manor, where Luz just took a seat on the fifth step up. </p>
<p>  "Well, we did it. Now what?" She posed the question to the other two, Amity finally gaining her bearings. </p>
<p>  "Well, once again you saved the day, so be proud of yourself first of all. Second, we need to get back up these steps and see about stopping this cult of psychos before they do anymore damage. I don't know what exactly killing the heart did, but it may have limited the magic that they have access to." She helped Luz to her feet, and began ascending the steps, Amity right behind them. </p>
<p>  "Did it, speak to either of you?" The green-haired witch asked quietly, not stopping her ascent behind them. </p>
<p>  "I didn't hear anything, but I'm old so who's to say," Eda gave a chuckle that included a small snort as she led the charge back up the stairs. </p>
<p>  "I did, it warned me not to kill the heart before the day of Unity, but I saw what it did to you and acted purely on instinct." Luz was fidgeting with the fabric of her blouse, clearly nervous that she might not have made the correct decision. </p>
<p>  "It told me that the Blights were chosen to be the bridge between humans and witches, that our lives must be forfeit to ensure the day of Unity is brought to fruition." Amity was quiet when she spoke, as if what had happened had drained what energy she had. Luz scoffed at hearing that. </p>
<p>  "Nothing is going to happen to you, I'll make sure of that. No one is going to hurt my new friends," the PI said with determination, and just a slight hint of agitation at the idea of the green-haired trio being used as fodder for some insane plan. Amity simply smiled, grateful for the young woman she had befriended. As Luz climbed the steps, she pondered on how strange it was not hearing the heartbeat anymore. She had assumed it was her own on her descent, and now it was just the click of three sets of shoes on hard stone. As everyone reached the top, they found nothing out of the ordinary. The sun had begun to set, indicating that they should probably head back before it got too dark. The sound of a ringtone broke the still air between the three women, and Eda pulled out her cell phone, immediately answering it. </p>
<p>  "Lily, is everything okay over there?" She asked as she put the phone on speaker so the other two could hear. </p>
<p>  "Yes, we're watching the news and it appears the magic that crazy cult was using isn't working anymore. The military has been deployed and are currently apprehending everyone, but it looks as if Belos is nowhere to be found." The way Lilith spoke was such a contrast from Eda's. Her's was proper, eloquent, and to the point, where as Eda's was, well, Eda's. It was in your face and lackadaisical at best, but it worked for her. </p>
<p>  "That's mostly good news, you're never going to believe this. The man had the heart of the Titan in his basement, the whole beating heart!" Eda called out, astonished. At first, Lilith didn't even offer a response, but after apparent deliberation, she just sighed. </p>
<p>  "It's never anything easy when we're involved, is it Edalyn?" She asked wistfully, Luz saw a smile grace the older woman's face. </p>
<p>  "No but that's how I like it, overconfident and unprepared!" Eda called out with gusto, clearly pleased with herself. They just heard Lilith chuckle as a faint voice was heard in the background. </p>
<p>  "I have to go, my Captain is calling me. Make it home safe everyone," and with that, she hung up. It was quiet for a moment before Eda put her phone away, taking a deep breath. </p>
<p>  "Well, let's get everyone home, I think after the day I've had I need a drink and a good night's sleep." Eda yawned, signifying that her latter request was probably going to happen first. The manor was unsettling in the evening glow, dull oranges danced through the halls and cast long shadows. The darkness seemed to dance around them as they maneuvered through the house, giving them the feeling of being followed. Finally making it to the foyer, the trio saw that the woman from earlier had evidently returned, as she was pacing near the front door. Luz thought hard, calling to mind the name of the diminutive woman before her as she had only heard it once. </p>
<p>  "Kikimora?" She asked, and the small woman craned her head up to look at them. She seemed to be at a loss for words as it took about thirty seconds before words were spoken. </p>
<p>  "How did I get here?" She posed the question. She sounded scared, terrified even. Eda just looked over the Luz and Amity as they just stared back at her. Someone needed to do something, say something, anything. </p>
<p>  "You've been a servant to Belos Delasari for who knows how long, now he's a fugitive on the run," Luz said calmly, trying not to further startle the woman. The woman just looked at her in horror. </p>
<p>  "Master Belos is what? His trial for the baseless magic rumors was dropped last month, he harmed no one while at that institution." The small woman spoke with indignation, clearly taking offense to what she was told. Luz gave Eda a concerned look before closing the distance between them. She leaned in close so Kikimora couldn't hear what was being said. </p>
<p>  "That happened years ago, what if she was the first one to be controlled by the Titan's influence after Belos and has been ever since?" Luz whispered to her, and the old cop sighed, clearly pondering on if she believed it or not. </p>
<p>  "That would make sense I suppose, Amity was hazy after a few minutes of it, who knows what years would do." Eda whispered back before looking at Kikimora's tiny form. She had begun pacing once more, clearly still panicking over the Belos dilemma. </p>
<p>  "Maybe she could give us an idea of where he'd be?" Luz spoke quietly, beginning to move towards Kikimora. As she reached her, it became clear just how much shorter the woman was compared to her. "Kikimora, I know this is a lot to take in, but we need to find Belos and stop him. He's a danger to everyone if he's not captured now, and I don't want anyone else to get hurt. You know something is wrong with him, that something happened to him." Luz was strangely calm, talking to Kikimora with clear empathy. It was a long time before the small woman spoke, but after her pause, she simply nodded. </p>
<p>  "You're right, I know you're right," she was clearly shaken at this, Luz could tell this woman has been around Belos for quite a long time to warrant that genuine of an emotion. She clapped her hands and overhead lights brought the mansion to life. The shadows cast by the evening glow vanished in an instant, and she motioned for them to follow her down a hallway to the right of the main door. The hallway was long, and it only had two doors near the very end on either side which insinuated that both rooms were fairly large. Kikimora entered the door to the right, leading the trio into a small library, a large red mahogany desk in the center of the room. Several large tomes were on the desk, seeming quite old in comparison to everything else in the room. </p>
<p>  "This is his study, he has a ledger somewhere in here with a list of names of his business partners. If he would go anywhere, it would probably be to hide out with one of them." She motioned for them to check the desk, as due to her size, it would make it rather difficult for her to check. Luz began to check through the books on his desk, the old tomes were in a strange language that she had never seen before, and there were strange symbols on nearly every page. As she ran her hand across one of the symbols, the page began to glow a vibrant green before a small flower with green petals sprung up from the page. Everyone in the room stared in awe at the young woman as she appeared to be more shocked than all of them. </p>
<p>  Luz Noceda had just done magic.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  The room remained silent as Luz plucked the flower from the book, bewilderment still apparent on her face. She stared at it, feeling the firm stem between her fingers, and upon smelling it, found that while the aroma was rather faint, it was still very much a real flower. She set it on the desk and continued to flip through the book, though no one else's eyes had averted yet. </p>
<p>  "Luz, how did you just do that?" Amity asked quietly, as if her voice would cause the flower to wither. Luz simply looked up at her and held up the book with the symbols for her to see. </p>
<p>  "It looks like this is a really old form of magic, maybe ones that the first witches used, but I can't really read any of this so I don't know what any of these do." She closed the book and looked at Kikimora who was rifling through a nearby bookshelf that was closer to the ground. </p>
<p>  "Here it is, he keeps it just within my reach in case I should ever need to find him," she spoke with an air of sophistication, which eluded that maybe this was how she was supposed to act in the presence of Belos. She walked over and set the book on the desk, where Luz set the book of magic aside and began flipping through the well worn ledger. She noticed that all the names written were first name and last initial, so last names weren't fully provided. As she found the more recent entries, she was seeing a recurring name quite frequently. </p>
<p>  "Does the name Alador B. mean anything to anyone?" Luz asked without looking up from the book, and another blanket of silence enveloped the room once more, only to finally be interrupted by Amity. </p>
<p>  "My father's name is Alador, you don't think it could be him, do you?" She was hesitant with her question, knowing well that there couldn't be many rich and powerful Aladors. Luz just looked up at her, seeing the look of dread on her face. </p>
<p>  "I'm uh, seeing his name a lot in this book, the most recent one being just over a month ago. Wait, Eda, how long ago did the murders begin?" Luz was frantic as she was looking for times and locations, anything to help narrow down where he might have been. </p>
<p>  "Just over a month ago, you don't think this has something to do with her parents, do you?" Though Eda questioned it, it didn't sound outrageous at all. A powerful family having connections to a powerful cult? That could easily be pulled off and no one would suspect a thing. </p>
<p>  "I'm not saying anything for sure, but I think it's a strong lead. Maybe he went to the Blight's to hide out for whatever reason before going somewhere else." Luz was intensely staring at the book, some indecipherable language marked on certain pages. As she traced her fingers over it, she could feel an odd sensation about the pages,  as if every word were pulling against her. It felt as if whatever was written was trying to call out to her. Shaking her head, she was able to break the small trance she was enveloped in, looking up to Eda and Amity. The youngest Blight was standing stock-still, worry adorning her face. She opened her mouth and closed it several times before she actually began to speak. </p>
<p>  "I need to make sure my father is alright, so we need to go now." She was curt, seeming slightly startled by her own terse tone before turning on her heel and exiting the room. Eda followed after her to get her to slow down, which left Luz and Kikimora alone in the silent study. </p>
<p>  "I feel like I've missed a lot, like a portion of my life is just gone," Kikimora said solemnly, staring at a shelf of books that all had intricate designs on the spines. "I won't keep you, but I must ask one thing of you," she turned to Luz, eyes downcast. "What he's done, the killings, this isn't who he is, he was a sweet, caring man. If there's anyway to bring back the man he was, please consider taking it." And with that, she turned to the door, holding it open for them both. </p>
<p>  "I can't make any promises if he's not like that anymore, but I will try. Is it alright if I take these books for evidence?" Luz asked holding up the ledger and the tome of magic symbols, and the small woman just nodded. Luz hurried after Amity and Eda, seeing that they weren't in the manor anymore, so she made her way out the front door and found that Amity already had the car started and was waiting for her. She jogged to the car, books and the flower tucked tightly under her arm as she pulled open the passenger door, climbing in as fast as she could. She hadn't finished shutting the door before Amity peeled out of the driveway, forcing Luz to act quicker than she intended. She watched as Amity punched in a number on her car's radio, and Luz saw that she was dialing someone through the paired function that was connected to her phone. The name 'Odalia' popped up on the bar above the numbers before beginning to ring. It rang about three times before the sound of a click signaled that the call was answered. </p>
<p>  "Amity? Is everything alright?" The voice questioned, sounding rushed for an answer. </p>
<p>  "I don't know, mother, is everything alright?" She spat back, and Luz could see a burning anger beginning to grow on Amity's face. "Do you know about a man names Belos?" She pressed, the sharpness in her voice continuing to persist. </p>
<p>  "That's one of your father's business associates, I believe the two were rather close friends before," she didn't sound affected by Amity's anger, or if she did she could mask it well. "Why, dear? Has something else happened?" To say she was unprepared for Amity's next onslaught would he and understatement. </p>
<p>  "Of course something happened, HE was the one who had Edric and Emira kidnapped! He was going to kill us, mom! You're gone on a business trip while someone is trying to kill your children, don't you care?" Tears has begun to stain Amity's cheeks, but she didn't dare take her eyes off the road. She simply wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, making sure the other had a firm grip on the steering wheel. </p>
<p>  "Of course I care, I've been attempting to get the first flight back since we spoke earlier, but there seems to be an issue with the airport in Bonesborough. Have you talked to your father since everything happened? I haven't been able to get in touch with him either since yesterday." She didn't sound as shaken up about being accused of not caring for her family as Luz thought she should have been, but maybe it's a Blight thing. </p>
<p>  "The nurses haven't been picking up either?" Amity's tone changed at the mention of her father. In all the commotion of leaving, she hadn't thought to make sure that he was unharmed. </p>
<p>  "No, not even on their personal phones. I wish I could be back there for you, and I'm trying, but right now I can't be." Odalia sounded defeated, like she had run out of chances for everything to be okay. Amity simply sighed, realizing how heated she had gotten during the argument. </p>
<p>  "Mom, I'm sorry for yelling, we're going to check on dad now, I'll call you after we're done." Amity had been through enough that day, it was beginning to be a lot more taxing on her than she wanted to admit and Luz could clearly tell. </p>
<p>  "Alright, just please be careful," Amity hung up before anything else could be said. She was still visibly upset over the conversation but was reeling herself in. Eda just shifted in the back, making her presence known. "Sorry you both had to hear that, I just, ugh." Amity offered a noise of disgust and left the conversation off there, clearly with no intent on finishing it. Luz was staring at her, sympathy prominent in her eyes. </p>
<p>  "You don't need to apologize, I think I'd probably react the same if I found out my dad is friends with a crazy, murderous psychopath!" Luz was using her usual animated gestures, which earned a small smile from Amity, but it didn't last. This wasn't something that was just going to be brushed under the rug. "I know this is hard though, but whatever happens, we've got your back," Luz smiled at her, which drew a nod from the pale woman. It was strange how so much could happen in one day for things to escalate as quickly as they did. </p>
<p>  Luz realized that she had never been to the side of town that Amity lived in, mostly because she wasn't ever wealthy. It also didn't help that the few friends she did have in school lived in a neighborhood much like her own as well. So to see all the lavish houses so casually placed in proximity to each other gave her a sense of unease. At nighttime, all the houses were lit up to show that each one was lived in and several had curtains drawn to expose the rich lifestyle that that particular family was able to indulge in. Except for the house near the end of the road, a mansion with only a few lights on. </p>
<p>  Amity swung into the driveway of the dimly lit house, immediately jumping out just after shutting the car off. Eda practically launched herself out of the backseat to stop her, grabbing her shoulder as Amity had rounded the front of the car. </p>
<p>  "Slow down, kid. You rushing in without gauging how dangerous it could be is a surefire way to get yourself killed." Eda spoke quietly, but firm, and she watched as the young Blight stopped and took a deep breath. </p>
<p>  "You're right, sorry, okay 'officer', lead the way," Amity said with a hint of snark, and Eda just chuckled at the obvious sass she had just been delivered. Eda took point, approaching the front door cautiously. As they stepped onto the porch, Amity waved her hand to Eda, showing that she had a key in her grasp. The old cop let her step up and unlock the door before cautiously turning the doorknob. </p>
<p>  "Bonesborough PD, we have a warrant," Eda winked at the other two, and Luz just shook her head, though a smile was present on her face. It was dark in the main hall of the manor, and Amity pointed toward a hallway to the left, where a room could be seen with a light on. </p>
<p>  "That's where they have my dad set up, we should check to make sure he's okay first," Amity whispered, and they all nodded before heading in. Eda had her gun drawn once more, prepared to engage should the moment call for it, and as they approached, the sound of a voice could be heard. Maybe they didn't hear them? </p>
<p>  "No Dali, I don't know where the twins or Amity are, I haven't heard from them since last night. Yes, I am resting. No I'm not trying to move about. Yes I'll call you if I hear from them, get home safe, I love you too." The sound of the conversation ending signaled Eda to push the door open, seeing a man in a large, comfy looking bed. The room was rather bare except for some small stands  and a dresser on the opposite wall. The man paused before a look of realization struck him. "Edalyn?" He asked incredulously. </p>
<p>  "Hey Alador, long time no see," she said, lowering her gun. Amity pushed past her and ran to her father's side. </p>
<p>  "Amity! Thank the Titan you're okay, what's happened?" He held his hand out to her, showing he didn't have much strength to move to embrace her. </p>
<p>  "Dad, I'm so glad you're okay," she said tenderly as she held onto her father's hand. "Last night, Edric and Emira were kidnapped by this cult called the Emperor's Coven and were going to be killed for their magic. We managed to save them, but Belos is still out there," Amity gave her dad as many details as she could, though Eda still looked rather suspicious of him. </p>
<p>  "Belos? He actually did it then? He came to me last month to try to get me to join his cult, offering that the Titan would cure me as if he had a connection to it. I turned him down and I think he might have felt a bit scorned by it." So maybe he didn't have any connection with it then? </p>
<p>  "He briefly took over city hall, I think scorned is a bit of an understatement. Scorned is what a someone feels when their lover cheats on then, not murdering innocent people to please a power hungry being." Eda barked from the doorway, clearly uncaring of his relationship with the man. </p>
<p>  "So he was actually speaking with the Titan?" Alador asked, seeming more puzzled than they would've expected. </p>
<p>  "Yeah, was is the correct word for it too after Luz severed their connection to it." Eda laughed and Alador's confusion only seemed to grow. </p>
<p>  "Well the important thing is that you're all safe, where are Edric and Emira though?" He asked, clearly expecting them all to to be there. </p>
<p>  "They're safe, until all of this blows over they're staying somewhere safe." Amity reassured him, and he didn't seem to have any desire to pry. He trusted Amity, which probably felt pretty great to the youngest Blight. </p>
<p>  "That's good to hear, I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to the three of you," he sat up in his bed, seeming slightly mobile. He coughed on his ascent, and the cough quickly turned into a fit of coughing before he was able to stabilize. Amity put a tentative hand on his shoulder, offering a worried look with it. He just gave a weak smile in response before leaning back against the headboard of the bed. </p>
<p>  "So do you have any idea where Belos might be if he's not here? If he believes his plan needs to take place here, I can't imagine he'd go far," Eda posed the question to him, an air of impatience to her voice. </p>
<p>  "I don't really have any idea where he might be. You could try one of his other business partners, we haven't spoken much since he started up that crazy Coven. All of our conversations turned strictly to business after he came back from Hexside." Luz thought about what Kikimora said, maybe he wasn't originally a bad guy. Still that left more questions than answers, though the idea that he might not be as powerful gave some room for comfort. </p>
<p>  "Mr. Blight, do you mind if we take a look around to make sure nothing suspicious happened when everyone broke in last night?" Luz finally spoke up, drawing the attention of Alador. </p>
<p>  "Of course, I can't do much, but if there's anything I can do for you, I'll try my best to assist," he humbly offered, clearly unaffected by the woman's request. </p>
<p>  "Thank you, we'll try to be quick," she said as she walked past Eda and out into the dark hallway. She found the light switches for the main room and flicked them on. As the bright lights lit up the room, Luz saw how intricate and posh the entire mansion looked. Pearly marble was a staple, as was an ivory wood that was used for most of the furniture. Everything was what she could only describe as 'fancy', because everything in the immediate room looked more expensive than anything she owned. The first thing she noticed was the portrait at the top of a large set of stairs leading up the center of the house to multiple wings of the house. The entire Blight family, probably from only a few years ago. The second thing she noticed was the bladed staff that pressed itself against her throat. </p>
<p>  "Miss Noceda," Belos began. "Scream and you die, just stay quiet and come with me."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  Luz could see Eda's back in the doorway down the hall, but if she so much as made a peep she risked becoming another victim to this madman. So she kept quiet as he dragged her down the opposite wing of the house. The further away they got, the more apprehensive she got. What did he want with her? More importantly, why was he still deranged if she severed the Titan's connection? He led her into a dark room, flipping on a light to reveal it was a small drawing room. Paintings lined one wall with unfinished works scattered about. When the door was shut, Luz deemed it as sufficient enough space between them and her friends to try to get some information. </p>
<p>  "So I take it the heart wasn't controlling you then, you were just mad from the start?" She asked quietly, feeling the blade of the staff once more press firmly to her throat. She winced as she felt a small trickle of blood begin to descend towards her chest. All she needed was one opportunity, one brief moment to break free and she'd make it out. </p>
<p>  "The Titan's heart was never controlling me, Miss Noceda. We worked in conjunction towards the Day of Unity, I was not a slave to it." His voice didn't sound angry, or have the strange hollowness to it. It sounded defeated, like a man at the end of his rope. He led her to the left most wall of the room, taking his free hand and pushing into an almost indistinguishable groove in the wall. A panel slid back and to the right, revealing two mannequins. Both busts had the Emperor's Coven uniforms, complete with beaked masks. Luz's blood ran cold, because the startling realization that they had all been tricked now cemented itself in her mind. </p>
<p>  "This can't be right, they're part of the Coven?" She needed confirmation, she had to know. </p>
<p>  "They are, and more importantly, they're the ones who orchestrated the kidnap of their own children. The Titan willed for the Blights to relinquish their children to allow the magic of their bloodline to fuel the Titan's Heart," she pondered on his words, if they were under control of the Titan, then they wouldn't really remember anything once the influence of it was negated. So were they in control the entire time or were they just puppets? </p>
<p>  "We stopped the heart, your magic is gone, so they're no longer under its spell," she quipped back, venom in her words. She was tired, tired of today, tired of this charade that Belos had kept up, and to think it was only her second day as a PI. </p>
<p>  "Humans are easily influenced, easily swayed, easily persuaded. Witches are not. They are stronger, resilient to magical influence. I need the Blights to die to proceed with the day of Unity, but I need it to be all of them." He placed the tip of the staff to Luz's forehead, the same red glow emitting from the strange glass piece. Suddenly, her head became filled with images, visions of a new world. Bonesborough laid in ruin, and from the crumbling earth, a massive being of magic and menace rose. The Titan. Where ever it walked, the magic from the earth and anyone left alive was sapped, fueling its ever growing power. That was what the Day of Unity was, when all creatures would be unified and all magic would be stripped from them, leaving everyone equal and powerless. </p>
<p>  "This isn't right, this can't happen," Luz managed to utter out as the images still played out in her mind. Belos stepped away from her, moving to the opposite side of the room. He was seemingly allowing her to leave, which didn't feel right. She had to make a choice, fight him and risk losing, or run and risk him getting away. She'd tried it once and managed to get out, but her hand suffered for it. She squeezed her hand as a reminder, the bandages pressing firmly against the cuts. So she chose flight. She made a mad dash for the door, throwing it open without seeing if he had pursued her. She heard Eda call out for her as she sprinted down the dark hall, skidding into the main room with the lavish furniture. </p>
<p>  "Eda, Amity, get away from Alador!" She screamed before seeing that they were both standing outside the door to his room. </p>
<p>  "Kid slow down, what happened?" Eda asked as Luz ran up to them, making sure they were free of cuts and scrapes. As soon as she confirmed they were unharmed, she turned to look behind her, making sure that Belos had not followed her. </p>
<p>  "Belos, he was here, he held me at knifepoint, or it was his staff, so staffpoint? I don't know, but he showed me that Alador and Odalia are members of his Coven. I saw it with my own eyes, and then he showed me what the Day of Unity is going to be. He plans to summon the Titan, and it's going to take the magic from every living creature on this earth." Luz was shaking, the thought of being held hostage finally catching up with her. Eda didn't wait for anything further, simply walking back into the room with Alador, with Amity following behind her. Luz hurried in behind them, afraid of what may happen if left alone again. </p>
<p>  "Alright Alador," Eda said as she pointed her pistol at him. "Let's start from the top, starting with your relationship with Belos." Eda's serious face was truly terrifying, age lending itself well to the older woman's scowl. However, Alador seemed unphased by the new information being requested and by the gun pointed at him. </p>
<p>  "I already told you everything I know, what more do you want?" He asked with a touch of concern tinting his voice. Eda gritted her teeth, looking over her shoulder at Luz who was fidgeting uncomfortably. </p>
<p>  "Luz, show me where this happened, Amity, you come with just in case anything happens," Eda called out to the other two, her voice stern and unwavering. She let Luz take the lead, who tentatively returned down the hall towards the drawing room. The door was still flung open, and Eda once again took point, gun firmly in her hands. She entered the room, keeping a steady aim as she checked to see if Belos was still present. Though no sign of him was left, the two outfits of the Coven were still visible on the left panel of the wall. </p>
<p>  "It can't be," was all Amity could mutter out as she walked towards the uniforms, placing a delicate hand on one of the beaked masks. </p>
<p>  "Well that's pretty damning. But where did Belos go?" Eda said as she glanced around the room, noting the paintings strewn throughout the room. They were all bland and soulless, each one appearing to have been created by a printer, but with small details denoting that they were handmade. </p>
<p>  "He's gone, I'm sorry I wasn't able to stop him, I just got so worried about you two," Luz said quietly, unwilling to meet either of their eyes. </p>
<p>  "You did the right thing, Luz. You protected yourself, and you were looking out for us, everything else is unimportant. Don't beat yourself up over it, this man is a lot smarter than we're giving him credit for." Eda didn't holster her gun, instead she headed back out into the hall and assumingly back towards Alador's room. </p>
<p>  "Amity, I'm sorry that this happened, I can't imag-" </p>
<p>  "How could they do this to us? I know we weren't the perfect children they always wanted, but how could they give us up to die like that?" Her voice was just barely above a whisper, to where Luz had to strain her ears to hear it. It broke her heart to hear it though, what she'd give to take her friend's pain away. She closed the gap between her and Amity, pulling the smaller woman into an embrace. She didn't struggle against Luz, she just quietly wept, not making any attempt to engage in the hug. </p>
<p>  "I don't honestly know what to say, but I'm here if you need to talk about it," Luz said quietly in response to her, but it drew no reaction from her. She briefly wondered how Edric and Emira would handle it, though based on their personalities it would probably be better than Amity. </p>
<p>  "I'm tired of being a pawn for them," was all the youngest Blight muttered as she wiggled herself free from Luz's arms, storming out the door to follow after Eda. It was quiet once more for the young PI, and she realized how much she hated the silence. She followed after them, hearing Eda reading Alador his rights down the hall. </p>
<p>  "Daughter, tell them they're making a mistake," Alador pleaded, and the look she gave him was intended to kill with how sharp her glare was. </p>
<p>  "Don't call me that, you're no father to me, Alador," she snapped, making it known that he had dug his grave already. Luz noticed that he seemed to be fine enough to stand, which made her wonder how much of his illness was real. Eda took out her phone, beginning to contact someone. After the fourth ring, an audible click was heard. </p>
<p>  "Hey Lily, can I get you to send a car over to the Blight Household? Turns out Alador and Odalia are in Belos's creepy Coven." She paused as she listened to Lilith speak back, but without it being on speaker, only Eda was able to make anything out. "Yeah, no yeah that sounds great, we'll hang tight, thanks Lily," and with that, Eda hung up on her conversation with her sister. Alador was surprisingly quiet, probably doing his best not to implicate himself. </p>
<p>  "What I want to know is how the Titan could even still rise if we killed it heart. That should've just ended it there, right?" Luz thought aloud, hoping to garner input from either Eda or Amity. </p>
<p>  "Unless that wasn't the only heart it has," Eda seemed to be thinking, trying to piece together the information. </p>
<p>  "Eda that's it, that's why it weakened the influence but didn't stop it!" Luz called out excitedly, now they just needed to find it or them and destroy them as well. </p>
<p>  "I say we go home and get some rest first. His plan won't go through overnight, especially since we killed one of the hearts already. Both of you look like you need it after today," Eda clearly took note of the exhaustion and frustration both girls must have felt by this point. </p>
<p>  "Yeah, sleep actually sounds awesome right about now," Luz inadvertently yawned, and she heard a yawn draw itself from Amity as well who, although still looking like she could kill with one look, nodded in agreement. Both girls were wiped out from today, and sleep sounded incredibly inviting. Though it didn't take Lilith too long to get there, it was still enough time for their bodies to settle from the constant moving they'd been doing, furthering their state of fatigue. </p>
<p>  "Alright kids, you think you can make it home by yourselves? I'm gonna go with Lilith, we'll be by tomorrow to begin searching for the other hearts." Eda herself seemed to be feeling the same exhaustion, having fought the Slitherbeast by herself probably drained her. </p>
<p>  "Yeah, I'm good to go, come on Luz," Amity said, her voice flat and without emotion. Before Luz left, she looked over at Eda, seemingly trying to confirm if the older cop was alright herself. Eda simply gave her a thumbs up before following Lilith out the door. "Come on, I'm tired of being in this place." Was all Amity said as she grimaced while looking around the manor. Luz followed her out, and watched as she locked the door behind them before they headed to the car. Lilith and Eda, along with Alador cuffed in the back, left before the other two, leaving them to quietly climb in the car together. Amity turned the key in the ignition, willing the engine to life and heading down the road. The air between them lay stagnant, both seemingly wanting to say something but neither knowing how to approach it. Luz finally broke the silence, seemingly better at the task. </p>
<p>  "I'm sorry for how everything turned out today, I can imagine with all the bad luck I bring that you don't want to be around me after this," Luz said quietly, earning a disgruntled sound from Amity. </p>
<p>  "While today has been REALLY unfortunate in terms of news, none of it is your fault, and if anything, you've made today the most interesting day I've ever had." She had a small smile on her face, which Luz realized was comforting to see. </p>
<p>  "I mean, that is kind of true, how often do you get to kill giant hearts guarded by slumbering monsters?" Luz smiled at her and Amity's smile grew to match hers. </p>
<p>  "You somehow seem to brighten every situation we've been in, so I can't complain about that," Amity's mood seemed to shift when she wasn't thinking of the most recent events, so Luz planned to keep her mind off of it until they got home where she'd inevitably have to tell the twins. A passing streetlight illuminated the interior of the car, and she got a glimpse of Amity through the darkness. Her pale skin seemed to glow in the light, her golden eyes shimmered as they held a mixture of happiness and something darker under the surface. She looked positively radiant in the brief moments she was back-lit by the passing lights. Luz hesitated before saying anything, realizing that she'd be staring for too long. </p>
<p>  "What, you going soft on me, Blight?" Ugh, why was that the line she went with? It seemed to work well enough though because it drew a quick laugh from Amity. </p>
<p>  "In your dreams."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter is a smidge longer than the usual chapters, but it wasn't long enough to split into two.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  Amity and Luz arrived back at the Noceda Residence after a short drive, Luz doing everything in her power to keep Amity distracted from the events of tonight until she would be forced to relive them. As Amity put the car into park, she sighed, mentally preparing herself for the twins. Luz put her hand on her shoulder, offering a sympathetic smile. </p>
<p>  "I'm right beside you if you need anything," she affirmed, and although Amity looked a tad forlorn, she nodded, willing herself to get out of the car. As they approached the back door, they could hear voices in the kitchen, particularly the Blights as they tended to have an issue with volume control. Luz unlocked the door and opened it, motioning for Amity to head in as she held the screen door open for her. </p>
<p>  "You're back!" Camila announced, and they could see she was wearing an apron, the smell of something being fried wafting to their noses as they both entered the house. "Dinner is almost ready, so you'd better be hungry!" She teased, seeing that both women were tired, but ultimately in one piece. </p>
<p>  "I never thought I'd be so happy to eat after this," Luz said quietly, to where only Amity could catch it. She just smiled at her briefly before turning her attention to the twins. </p>
<p>  "You two, we need to talk," she said to Edric and Emira as she walked past them into the living room. It was still so strange for Luz to see her as commanding or intimidating, but she did it with grace. </p>
<p>  "Uh oh, we're not in trouble are we?" Emira asked hesitantly, glancing between her sister and her twin. </p>
<p>  "No it's just, this is not going to be an easy conversation," Amity responded with similar hesitation, and after Edric and Emira shared a look between each other, they both got up and followed her into the living room. </p>
<p>  "So how did it go?" Camila asked as Luz took a seat at the table, which drew a sigh from the young woman. </p>
<p>  "Not great, but we did learn a load of new information. We're going back out tomorrow to continue our investigation, but for now I'm tired," she said as she rested her head on the table, feeling Camila walk over and rub her back for a moment. </p>
<p>  "Well I'm proud of you for doing everything you've done so far, now, I made pescado frito, and I made extra for your friends in the car out there, I imagine they're probably hungry. Would you mind taking it out to them when it's done?" She smiled as she returned to the stove, Luz laughing at the idea of her mother feeding a small army. "How are you feeling though bebé?" Her mother's caring voice cut through her with ease, and her upbeat facade faltered. </p>
<p>  "I'm scared, mamí, more scared than I've ever been. I got to see what the grand scheme was and it terrified me. After today, I just need to eat, sleep, and pass out," Luz didn't lift her head from the table as she spoke, hearing brief snippets of the Blight conversation happening simultaneously. </p>
<p>  "It's okay to be scared, but you kept going despite that, that's the bravest thing anyone can do. Are you still able to sense magic?" She called out casually, as though it weren't a rare ability. </p>
<p>  "Yeah, that's actually how we were able to find the Blight twins this morning," her mom gave hum of approval. </p>
<p>  "It's like you were made for this job, to think the little girl I raised would go on to save the world, how exciting!" Her mother's elation brought a smile to her face, but a pang of guilt found its way into her thoughts. Here she had a loving relationship with her mother when the Blights in the other room found out their parents tried to have them killed. It was disheartening to think about, especially considering that Amity still lived at home. Luz got up and went to the living room, and upon seeing the Blights hugging, moved quickly to dismiss herself from the situation and headed towards the bathroom. </p>
<p>  Upon seeing her face in the bathroom mirror, it was a wonder how she expected anyone to take her seriously. Remnants of the heart fluid, sweat, and grime all accompanied her haggard expression. She washed her face as best she could, seeing the same fluids also in her hair. Maybe a shower before bed wasn't such a bad idea. As she cleaned herself up the best she could, she felt herself sigh once more. Today was hard, tomorrow could be harder, was she ready for that? She set on the edge of the tub, lost in thought. How would they even find the other hearts? And who could tell how many there even were? This was getting increasingly complicated, though the majority of the Emperor's Coven were captured today, or at least, she hoped they were. A knock at the door came and startled Luz out of her thoughts. </p>
<p>  "Luz, bebé, dinner is ready," she heard her mother call out before hearing her walk away. She made sure she was somewhat presentable now that her face was cleaner, and opened the door. Edric and Emira were quietly talking on the couch while Amity was standing behind them, glancing down at her phone. Edric looked up at her, and for a brief moment Luz saw pain in his eyes before he spoke. </p>
<p>  "Oh man, a shower sounds incredible right now," he said loud enough for them to hear, and it earned a groan from Emira. </p>
<p>  "It really does, Camila do you mind if we use your shower?" Emira yelled from her spot on the couch, seemingly acclimating to the Noceda Residence rather well. Camila stepped back into the living room, looking at her from the doorway. </p>
<p>  "Go right ahead, but dinner first, I also have to see if I still that inflatable mattress for you to sleep on," she seemed to be happy to have them around, despite Luz's worries that she had been imposing by bringing them here. Her mother handed two containers to her, clearly the containers in a small bag meant for Viney and Jerbo who were still on duty. Without another word, she headed out the front door, illuminated only by the light from the porch and headed out the front gate towards the pitch black car. She tapped on the window, and as it rolled down revealing Jerbo was asleep and Viney was looking at her. </p>
<p>  "Hey Luz, what's up?" She happily called out, apparently not worried about volume as Jerbo didn't budge. </p>
<p>  "My mom made some dinner for you two if you're hungry," Luz smiled and handed the containers through the window to her. </p>
<p>  "Oh please, I'm starving! Thank her for us, yeah?" She popped the lid off of one container, and Camila had even had the foresight to give them plastic forks and napkins. As she took a fork full of rice and fish into her mouth, her eyes lit up. "Luz this is incredible, and I'm not just saying that because I haven't eaten all day." Jerbo sniffed the air in his sleep before sitting up and looking around. He looked between the two women and then down at the containers of food between them. </p>
<p>  "That's not takeout is it?" He asked, tentatively grabbing the other container. </p>
<p>  "Nah, it's my mom's pescado frito, she usually only makes it on special occasions," Luz said cheerfully, leaning into the car a bit. </p>
<p>  "And you're missing out if you're not already eating it, because it is delicious," Viney sang the last word and it brought a smile to her face. The two detectives were seemingly stark contrasts of each other, but apparently they work well together. </p>
<p>  "Well thank you, how are things going by the way? Eda talked to us before she came and got you but we haven't heard from her since," Jerbo said, although with a distinct lack of concern. He clearly knew Eda was capable of handling herself. </p>
<p>  "Things have gotten crazy, did she tell you about that crazy cult?" Luz asked and Viney nodded in agreement. </p>
<p>  "Yeah, we also saw on the news that the military came in to arrest them but their leader is still out there." She was full of emotion, which was one of the biggest differences she noticed between the two detectives. Jerbo was collected, calculated, with just a hint of silliness. Viney was strong willed, animated, and had no problem showing how she felt. </p>
<p>  "Well get this, we killed one of the Titan's hearts to stop him from controlling that crazy Coven, and apparently there are still more out there!" Luz made sure to keep her voice down in case any prying ears were listening. </p>
<p>  "That's crazy! Does stuff like this usually happen to you?" Viney laughed as she said it, and that drew a laugh from Jerbo as well. </p>
<p>  "Well I only just started working yesterday, so right now I've got about a one hundred percent weirdness rate so far." The thought of going into her third day of nonstop weirdness made her tired already, but she was determined to see it through. </p>
<p>  "Well, from what I've seen, if anyone can handle it, it's you. You got this, Luz, keep your chin up," Viney said while smiling at her. </p>
<p>  "Thanks, that means a lot actually," she was tired, and the longer she was awake, the more apparent it was becoming. "I'm heading back inside, feel free to knock on the door if you need anything!" She tried to hold onto her enthusiasm for just a bit longer, and as they both smiled and waved goodbye, she turned on her heel and headed back in. As she reentered the house, the Blights were all sat at the table, and it was strange to her to see the house so lively. </p>
<p>  "Mija, come and eat!" Her mother called out, and though she felt the tiredness begin to weigh her down, she entered the kitchen. A plate was already set out for her, and she thought about how nice it was to eat her mother's cooking again. </p>
<p>  "This is so good, why is it so good?" Edric said as he feigned crying. Luz looked at Amity who appeared to be sharing her exhaustion, though she wasn't expecting the witch to look up at her. Amity offered her a small smile as she ate in silence, and Luz shot her a nervous grin after being caught staring. </p>
<p>  "Well there's plenty here so eat up, no one needs to go to bed hungry," Camila was beaming with pride at the praise, taking notice of her daughter's nervous face but opting not to make mention of it. So they sat in relative silence, enjoying the hot meal before them, the next day looming over them all. Camila walked out of the room and disappeared from sight, leaving the other four to eat their meal. </p>
<p>  "Not going to lie, hearing that Eda pointed a gun at dad was really satisfying," Emira said quietly, and it forced a cough from Amity as she briefly choked on a bit of fish before clearing her throat. </p>
<p>  "So what did you say to him?" Edric asked, looking straight at Amity, and she looked down at her plate, a small grin on her face. </p>
<p>  "He called me daughter, begged for my help, and I told him, 'don't call me that, you're no father to me', and then I called him by his first name." She recounted her earlier events and Edric slammed his hand on the table as he laughed a short, loud laugh. Her siblings seemed to really enjoy that, which gave Luz the impression that it wasn't surprising to learn their father was evil. </p>
<p>  "Delivered with that cold Amity angst that we love so much, you're truly a hero to us all," Emira laughed, and it seemed to ease the tension that Amity had been feeling the entire time. Her shoulders relaxed and she gave a quiet sigh, slowly sitting back in her seat. She hadn't entirely finished her dinner, and Edric used his fork to slowly take a small fork full from her plate while she wasn't looking. He did this several times until she looked at him while he did it, where he froze, but she simply slid her plate over to him. He mouthed 'thank you so much' as he immediately dug in to her portion. </p>
<p>  "How are you holding up, Luz?" Amity asked which snapped the PI out of her thoughts. </p>
<p>  "Oh uh," she paused, how was she holding up? Her hand hurt, her legs hurt, her thoughts felt foggy, she killed a man, she had been held hostage, and now finally it's all rushing back. She could lie, say she was doing alright, but Amity can see right through her, so what would be the point? "Bad, really bad. Everything hurts and I've been a hostage and a killer in one day. I'm just ready for a shower and bed," she tried desperately to maintain her upbeat attitude, but it faltered after her thoughts were now out in the open. Was she really cut out for this? If this was how it was going to be, was there any real point in continuing? A hand on top of hers interrupted her thoughts once more, seeing Amity offer her an apologetic smile. </p>
<p>  "But you've also been a detective and a hero today too. Edric and Emira, Eda and Lilith, even me, all of us are alive right now because of you. I know it's easy to focus on the bad things and ignore the good, trust me I know that very well, but you have to give yourself credit where credit is due. Your events today have been both insane and heroic, but I'm glad that I was a part of them," her smile was a lot brighter, more genuine now as she looked at her, and Luz could only offer a sheepish smile in response. Maybe she was right, she did what she did to make sure everyone was safe, and although that doesn't change the fact that they happened, she realized she was being rather hard on herself. </p>
<p>  "When you put it like that, I think I deserve a medal or something," Luz laughed and the trio of Blights all smiled at her. </p>
<p>  "Well you're getting paid at least, which is kind of like a medal," Edric chuckled but Luz shook her head. </p>
<p>  "I think I'm doing your case Pro Bono, I don't feel right billing you after everything that happened today," she was trying to be kind, somewhat generous, but the look around the table suggested it was not met with the same enthusiasm she had. </p>
<p>  "Luz, we're a family of rich jerks, you're getting paid," Emira said matter-of-factly, and the other two just seemed to shrug, not disagreeing with her. </p>
<p>  "I just feel bad because I feel like we've become friends and I don't like the idea of charging friends," Luz was smiling but hesitant, becoming aware that Amity's hand was still on top of hers. </p>
<p>  "That's all the more reason for us to pay you! Friends don't take advantage of other friends," Edric was stern, more than she had ever seen him which drew a slight look of shock from Emira. Clearly he didn't use that voice often. The sound of Camila returning to the living room alerted them all to her presence, and she was carrying a small motorized pump and a deflated air mattress. The motor was relatively quiet as she set it up to begin inflating it, so they wouldn't need to shout over it to talk. </p>
<p>  "Do you need any help with dishes Camila?" Emira asked, but she just shook her head. </p>
<p>  "No, thank you though, we have a dishwasher so that I don't have to worry about it," she smiled as she reentered and began cleaning up the kitchen. Seeing that everyone was done eating by this time, Luz delicately retrieved her hand from under Amity's, beginning to round up everyone's plates and took them to the sink to rinse them before placing them in the small dishwasher by the counter. Edric stood up and stretched, glancing around at the room to see if anyone was paying attention. </p>
<p>  "I call first dibs on the shower!" He yelled as he hurried out of the kitchen and into the bathroom. Emira looked infuriated but Amity simply rolled her eyes and looked over at Luz who was now staring at the doorway where he had ran out. </p>
<p>  "He did this a lot when he lived at the house too, so you just learn to ignore it," the youngest Blight said without much emotion, though she seemed to brighten up when Luz smiled. </p>
<p>  "Well, it's always just been my mamí and I, so to have people staying over is actually really nice," she said as she finished putting dinnerware into the dishwasher. Everyone migrated to the living room after all cleanup was done and leftovers put away, where they chatted and one by one got their respective showers. Luz taking her shower last, found herself wincing a lot at the water assaulting the open cuts on her hand that hadn't yet healed properly. Though the blood had clotted initially, the bandages and wraps inadvertently reopened them when they were removed. It hurt, like thorns wrapped around her entire hand and being pulled tight with every movement. As she finished her shower and got dressed with the sleeping clothes she had grabbed from her room beforehand, she attempted to redo her bandages, though with one hand it made it incredibly difficult. As if on queue, a knock came to the door for the second time today. </p>
<p>  "Luz, do you need help wrapping your hand?" It was her mother, and with her mom being a nurse, it was guaranteed to turn out perfect. Though she couldn't get the thought of Amity bandaging her hand out of her mind, gentle fingers turning methodically with each wrap. </p>
<p>  "I do, I'll be out in a second," she announced, making sure she was completely presentable before stepping out of the bathroom, letting her mother lead her into the kitchen. She took note of the Blights, Edric and Emira had apparently used magic to change their attire to more comfortable and sleep appropriate, whereas Amity had put on the pajamas Luz had offered to her, Good Witch Azura shorts with a matching shirt. They fit her really well. As Camila was bandaging Luz's hand, she just smiled knowingly up at her daughter. </p>
<p>  "Mija," her mother began quietly. "I know that look," she said with just a hint of deviousness behind it. Luz could feel the heat on her face as her embarrassment grew, trying to will herself to think about anything else. </p>
<p>  "I have no idea what you're talking about," she poorly deflected, which had clearly not worked as her mother's expression didn't change. </p>
<p>  "She thinks you're cute, you know," she said with the same quiet volume, and Luz looked at her in shock. </p>
<p>  "Mom!" Luz said a little too loudly, though her mother only quietly chuckled. </p>
<p>  "What? They talk quite loudly, and I happened to overhear them talking about you earlier while you were gone," she shrugged as she finished up the bandages, which looked neat and orderly. </p>
<p>  "Oh wow, I'm going to bed now to forget about this conversation. Thank you again for helping me with keeping them safe mamí," Luz said as she hugged her mother, who returned the embrace happily. </p>
<p>  "Of course, mija, I'm just happy to be a part of this!" She said excitedly, which drew a smile to Luz's lips as she turned to head towards the living room. Luz went to retrieve spare blankets for the twins and for her own little sleeping area she planned to make on the floor of her room. After the events of today, everyone looked wiped out, and rightfully so. Luz made sure Amity knew she was taking her bed still in case she intended to try to get out of her hospitality, and though she protested a bit at first, she ultimately gave in at the thought of sleeping on the floor. They said their goodnights and they both of entered her room, where Amity plopped down on the soft bed. </p>
<p>  "Thanks again, for everything, I don't know where I'd be right now if it weren't for you," the youngest Blight said as she laid down slowly, pulling the covers over herself. </p>
<p>  "Well, I'm just happy I was able to help, you've got me by your side for anything you need help with," Luz was trying not to sound as tired as she was, but it still could be clearly heard in her voice. She finished setting up her small sleeping area on the floor by the bed, and laying down yielded incredible results. Instantly her body relaxed and she could feel her exhaustion weighing heavily on her eyelids. </p>
<p>  "Well thank you, the same goes for you too, though you've been the one saving me today," Luz heard her laugh quietly and then fall silent, sleep having taken her almost immediately. It was a long day for sure, she hoped tomorrow wouldn't feel nearly as taxing. As her eyes fluttered shut, the feeling of her work phone buzzing in her pocket made her jump. She saw that it was a number she didn't have saved, which probably meant another client. </p>
<p>  "Luz Noceda, Private Eye, how can I help?" She replied tiredly, hoping it wasn't more bad news. </p>
<p>  "Luz! I'm glad that number Eda gave me was right," a familiar voice rang out from the other end. </p>
<p>  "Willow? It's good to know you're alright, how are you?" Luz perked up a bit, knowing Willow was safe was a good piece of news to end the day on. </p>
<p>  "I'm doing alright, but more to the point, I think I might be able to help you. I think I know where another heart is."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  The morning came abruptly for everyone, the sounds of movement coming from the living room stirred Amity from her sleep. She sat up, looking around as she gathered her bearings. Yesterday wasn't a dream, and the woman sleeping on the floor was evidence enough. She stared at the sleeping PI, seemingly the definition of peaceful. She checked her phone to see that the time was only half past six, which was a little earlier than she was used to. Luz shifted in her sleep, and continued to do so, a pained look adorned her face. Noticing this, Amity reached down and gently shook her shoulder to attempt to wake her. The results were instant, Luz's eyes shot open and she quickly backed away against the wall, breathing fast.</p>
<p>  "Luz, it's okay, it's just me," Amity offered her hand to the woman backed against the wall like a scared animal.</p>
<p>  "A-Amity?" She replied shakily, clearly something in her dream had seemed real enough to frighten her.</p>
<p>  "Yeah, it's me, I'm here, you're okay now," she knelt down next to her, taking her hand to give her something to touch, trying to keep her grounded.</p>
<p>  "I just, I can't stop thinking about yesterday," Luz spoke quietly as she pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs. "I killed someone, I know I did it to save us, but I can't get it out of my head that maybe that person was brainwashed and didn't know what they were doing. What if they were innocent? What if they were married? What if he had a wife or a husband at home that didn't even know about this part of his life?" Her breathing was picking up again, so Amity sat next to her, pulling her into as decent a hug as she was able.</p>
<p>  "Those people all wanted to be there, they signed up for that before they were brainwashed, if they even were. I know it might not change how you feel about it, but I think you did the right thing. You did what you could to protect those you care about, and that fierce devotion is one of the reasons I'm happy to have you as a friend." Amity's words seemed to cut through the tension as Luz stared at her, offering a nod after a few brief moments.</p>
<p>  "You're probably right, I just have to keep telling myself that at least," Luz gave a half-hearted laugh as she stretched her legs out once more. She became aware of the fact that Amity hadn't let go of her yet, and instantly felt her entire body begin to heat up. Amity clearly hadn't noticed either as she was still holding on, so maybe she was doing this intentionally? "Uh, Amity?" She said quietly as she patted one of the arms wrapped around her. After a brief moment of confusion, the youngest Blight realized as well that she was still attached, immediately letting go and returning to her position on the bed.</p>
<p>  "Sorry! Just wanted to make sure you were okay," she laughed nervously as she patted her knees periodically with her hands. It was interesting to watch the normally cool and collected woman seemingly turn into a different person. Luz laughed a more genuine laugh, seemingly broken free from her dark thoughts, and Amity realized how enriching it was to hear. She enjoyed making her laugh, though she couldn't quite determine yet if the reasoning was selfish or not. Friends make each other laugh all the time, what's the issue? She watched as Luz stood up, stretched, and went to her closet.</p>
<p>  "So, I don't know if I have very many things that will fit you without being long on you, but I've got a few cute dresses that you could try." Luz spoke without turning around, calling out to Amity as she moved coat hangers back and forth. The few dresses in question all appeared to be summer dresses, all of varying lengths. "Oh what about this one?" Luz asked as she held up a golden knee length dress. "It'll match your eyes," she casually mentioned, not that she had stared at them enough or anything.</p>
<p>  "That'll work, thank you," Amity smiled as her friend turned to face her, holding up the hanger with the dress dangling from it. She took it from her and opted that getting dressed in the bathroom would probably be for the best as she wanted to give Luz her own room to change.</p>
<p>  "Of course! I'm going to go check on my mom and the twins, you can change in here, and I'll just get dressed when you're done!" Luz called out chipperly, which threw Amity's plan out the window seconds after having it. Without another word, Luz left the room, leaving the youngest Blight alone with her thoughts and the dress. Amity felt her phone buzz on the bed where she had placed it, and grabbing it revealed a text that had just come in.</p>
<p>  <em>'Hey Ami, haven't heard from you since yesterday morning, did you end up finding the twins?'</em> The name at the top of message read 'Boscha', and she realized she hadn't given her any sort of update on how she was doing.</p>
<p>  <em>'Hey Bosch, sorry yesterday was really crazy. We found the twins, uncovered the plot of that crazy guy who took over city hall, and found out my parents are part of his cult. So yesterday was a little rough to say the least,'</em> Boscha had been her friend for awhile now, after their whole phase of superiority fizzled out. She waited a moment and sure enough, a follow up message came through.</p>
<p>  <em>'!!! Girl you have got to be joking! What happened with that private investigator you were gonna hire?' </em> She pondered for a moment of how much she planned to tell her.</p>
<p>  <em>'She turned out to be the real deal, she found Edric and Emira, she found about my parents, and would you believe she's around our age?'</em> After sending the last bit, she had the thought, was that important information?</p>
<p>  <em>'No kidding, anyone we already knew?'</em> Amity knew that she hadn't known Luz before, but who's to say Boscha didn't.</p>
<p>  <em>'Her name is Luz Noceda, ring any bells?'</em> The response took long enough to where she decided she'd go ahead and get changed. The dress was just about her size, albeit a tad big on her. It flowed nicely, and she briefly imagined the owner of the dress in it before swiftly removing those thoughts from her head. It was brighter than the colors she usually wore, so it seemed odd to see herself in such a contrasting outfit. The buzz from her phone once more caught her attention.</p>
<p>  <em>'Well, bad news is I think I bullied her in school, good news is she probably doesn't remember, right?'</em> Amity knew firsthand how insufferable Boscha was in high school, but also knew how much she mellowed out after she left. That still didn't excuse what she did, how could anyone ever bully Luz?</p>
<p>  <em>'Boscha, come on! Why did you have to bully every girl you came in contact with?'</em> To be fair, she knew the reasoning, but it still didn't make it right.</p>
<p>  <em>'Because I was a closet lesbian who tried to push down the fact that I liked girls by being mean to them. If I remember she was pretty cute, you interested in her or something?'</em> Amity scowled at the phone in her hands, how was she able to pick that up with no context clues?</p>
<p>  <em>'Her and I just became friends, I've only known her for a day,'</em> she deflected the issue and hoped that Boscha would drop it, but as she had come to expect from her, she didn't let anything slide by.</p>
<p>  <em>'But you're not answering the question. Do you, Amity Blight, have a MASSIVE crush on Luz?'</em> She, of course, had no argument. Of course Luz was cute, of course she found her charming, but again, it's only been a day. Why could Boscha not see that?</p>
<p>  <em>'Okay maybe a little, but I just said I met her a day ago, I can't just run into this head first!'</em> That seemed reasonable, don't rush into this, so why wasn't Boscha getting it?</p>
<p>  <em>'I'm not saying you should, but you always crush after someone and never make a move, so I'm just trying to push you in the right direction! Anyway, Willow asked me to tag along in some investigation thing that she needs help with, text you later, Ami!'</em> Amity knew she wouldn't get a response if she tried to justify herself. Of course she couldn't go after her previous crushes. What if they didn't like her back? What if it made things weird? Too many variables.</p>
<p>  "Hey Amity, you about ready?" Luz called from outside the room and she was brought back to her current plane of thought.</p>
<p>  "Yeah, hold on," she said as she got up from the bed, walking over to the door and opening it to find Luz waiting, still in her sleep attire. Of course, she needed her room to get changed. "Sorry, I was messaging a friend, I'll let you get ready," she walked past her to the living room, not noticing that Luz was sneaking glances at her as she walked by. Luz had the thought that she definitely did pick the right dress, it definitely matched her eyes and went well with literally everything else.</p>
<p>  "Thanks! I'm gonna get dressed real quick and be back out! We're meeting a friend at the coffee shop I frequent because they have a lead on where another heart may be!" Luz called out excitedly, and Amity found herself smiling at her cheerful enthusiasm. That was how she was before everything happened yesterday, and to see it back was a breath of fresh air for sure. Luz shut the door behind her to get dressed, and upon looking over, Amity found two sets of eyes on her.</p>
<p>  "You could try to be a little subtle, you know," Edric's sly smile indicated he saw right through her.</p>
<p>  "I have no idea what you're talking about," Amity huffed, trying not to let the twins' antics get the better of her.</p>
<p>  "She was totally checking you out," Emira whispered playfully to her, and she could feel her face begin to heat up in either frustration or embarrassment, and she couldn't tell which.</p>
<p>  "She was not! She was probably just making sure I didn't put her dress on wrong, or something," Amity was exceptionally bad at lying to her siblings when she didn't have all the information. Was Luz looking at her? Surely they were joking. It didn't take long for the door to open again, revealing Luz in a pair of khaki slacks with a light blue button up top. She had the hairband in her hair once more, keeping the hair pulled back from her chocolate eyes.</p>
<p>  "Alright, let's get this show on the road! I am so ready for this," Luz said excitedly, showing that she seemed to be doing better from earlier. Amity nodded and smiled, grabbing her keys from the coffee table where she had thrown them after her conversation with the twins last night.</p>
<p>  "We'll be here, holding down the fort, you want us to do any investigating of our own while you're gone?" Edric asked, conjuring an illusion of a detective hat to play the part of sleuth. Amity appeared disgruntled, but the sound of Luz laughing immediately brought her out of it.</p>
<p>  "Actually yeah, can you research any huge construction projects in the last like, five years? I feel if these hearts weren't originally around here, then maybe someone used a big front to have them moved there." Luz seemed to have a bright idea for every situation, regardless of how off the wall it could be.</p>
<p>  "Can do, captain!" Edric gave a mock salute, drawing the usual eye roll from his sisters. That was all the confirmation that Luz needed though, as she began to gather her phones and notepad, stuffing them into her pockets as she went.</p>
<p>  "You ready, Amity?" She asked, snapping the young woman out of a singular train of thought to draw a nod from her. Leading the charge, Luz left out the back door, instructing the twins to lock up since her mother had already left for work.</p>
<p>  As they headed out to Amity's car, Luz gave her the address of the coffee shop she was meeting her friend at. Amity was happy to be a part of this investigation, she was saving the world, how many others can say that? Still, she found it was quite daunting. Something else itched at the back of her mind. Why was she affected by the Titan's influence but her parents weren't? Was it because they were just inherently more powerful than her? She couldn't figure out why that would be the case since she was also a masterful witch.</p>
<p>  The trip was a short drive, less than a mile from Luz's home as it was on her commute to her office. Amity could count on two fingers how long it's been since she's been to one of these chain coffee places, as she survived off espresso herself. Exiting the car, something seemed off, she'd seen that car before hasn't she? But where? It was a standard four door commuter, nothing fancy, but with a few plant stickers on the back.</p>
<p>  "Hey Luz, who did you say we were meeting again?" Amity asked hesitantly as they approached the door.</p>
<p>  "Oh just a friend I met the other day, her name is Willow!" She said happily, and Amity's heart sank as they walked into the establishment.</p>
<p>  There, seated near the back corner, was Willow and Luz's former high school bully and Amity's best friend, Boscha.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  The tension in the air was thick, Luz had a cheery look about her face, but Amity could clearly tell it was forced. Amity had gone up to order drinks while Luz sat down across from Willow and Boscha. </p>
<p>  "Hey Luz! I'm really excited to help, I never thought I'd be helping to save the world!" Willow spoke with a great deal of enthusiasm, not taking into account both Luz and Boscha were alarmingly quiet. Luz's thoughts were rapidly revolving in her head, it had been a long time since she'd been bullied, or rather, it felt like a long time, but something in her immediately began to feel that same anxiety from before. </p>
<p>  "Uh, yeah! I'm glad you were able to help, we didn't have any leads to go on and were about to start traveling around aimlessly." She could feel herself avoiding looking to Willow's immediate left. </p>
<p>  "Well, I actually only knew about this because of Boscha here, she was the one who mentioned it to me. Apparently there's some sort of spooky stuff that goes on at the History Museum after hours," Willow excitedly said, turning to smile at the woman mentioned. Boscha just gave an uncomfortable smile, which she finally picked up on. "Did I say something wrong?" Willow asked her, quieter than how she had been speaking. </p>
<p>  "Luz," Boscha began, "I'm sorry for before, I'm not that kind of person anymore, and I had to do a lot of learning to get to where I am today. I know it doesn't undo the things I said and did to you, but I am sorry for how I was." Boscha sounded sincere enough, and Luz could definitely tell she wasn't the same person, though that didn't make it any easier to get over the years of relentless bullying. </p>
<p>  "It's, it's not okay, and I can't forgive you right now because seeing you again hurt a lot more than I thought it would, but I appreciate the apology, and I'll give it some thought. Okay, so, history museum. Isn't there a couple in the city?" Luz asked, seemingly a bit less uncomfortable, though Willow was giving a passing glance at Boscha every so often. Amity walked over to the table with two cups, sitting down next to Luz. </p>
<p>  "I grabbed you a French vanilla cappuccino, I saw you drinking it yesterday," Amity said as she set the cup in front of her, and Luz gave her a shocked look. She had paid attention to such a small detail, how could she possibly have noticed that? </p>
<p>  "Th-thank you, you didn't have to do that," she said quietly, looking at the drink in her hands. Willow and Boscha simply shared a look between each other. </p>
<p>  "It was no trouble, I wanted a drink too," Amity sat down with her own drink, and Luz could see that there were a lot of additional shots of espresso added. That was a lot of caffeine, a dangerous amount even. </p>
<p>  "So, there is a couple, but the one by the old high school before it moved is the one we're talking about. It's the biggest one, and apparently Boscha has seen a couple of cloaked figures going there after dark. I say we go in during the day and scope it out, see if we can find some hidden entrance." Willow was clearly happy to be part of the plan, which was surprising to everyone at the table, including Boscha. </p>
<p>  "We? Wait, we're actually doing this too?" She asked Willow quietly, who just nodded to her. A look of apprehension was present Boscha's face, but Willow gently rubbed her back and smiled. </p>
<p>  "Everything will be okay, we're just going in during the day, we'll do a little recon and leave," Willow was confident that things would go smoothly which was a stark contrast to how Luz imagined the day would go, if yesterday was any indicator. </p>
<p>  "If you say so," was all Boscha could say, almost inaudible. They chatted a bit more, Luz learning that Amity and Boscha were close friends. It seemed strange since the two had entirely different personalities, but she wasn't there to judge. She sipped her coffee while Boscha told them about the mysterious figures she saw one night on her way home, all of them heading into the museum. She couldn't quite make out what they looked like, but was sure they all had the beaked masks that the Coven wore. It was concerning to think how many other members could be in hiding, waiting for the right moment to surface. </p>
<p>  Amity offered to follow behind Willow to the museum, noticing that Luz still didn't particularly feel comfortable around Boscha, so an awkward car ride probably wasn't for the best. Luz was unusually quiet, even as they sat in Amity's car, her cappuccino in hand, she was still silent. </p>
<p>  "Did she at least apologize?" Was all Amity asked as she started the car, and she could feel her staring at her. The moment of silence lasted for longer than either of them seemed to care for, and Luz only offered a sigh at first before speaking. </p>
<p>  "She did, I didn't think I'd still be uncomfortable about it after, what, a minimum four years of not seeing her? But she said and did some horrible things to me, so I'm not sure if I can forgive her for that," Amity found it strange when Luz was quiet and reserved, as that was a stark contrast to how the woman seemed to hold herself naturally. It was as if she was seeing her in a different light, a glimpse at the inner workings of her mind. She still couldn't understand why Luz would be a target of bullying, but to be fair, Amity never really had to worry about that due to her status. </p>
<p>  "And you're not obligated to forgive her. She has definitely changed over the years, but that doesn't change what she did. I've known her for most of my life, even through the bad years, so I know how insufferable she was back then." That last sentence caught Luz off guard, her eyes once again on Amity. </p>
<p>  "You knew she was bullying people?" She asked quietly, and the brief silence that followed was a telling answer. Amity simply faced the road ahead of her, the plant stickers visible on the back of the commuter in front of them. </p>
<p>  "I did, and I didn't do anything about it. I never actively participated, but I let her do what she wanted because I didn't know how to say no to people." Amity voice was low, she wasn't proud of who she was back then, and it showed on her face. Luz was uncomfortably quiet again, the sound of their breathing and the hum of the engine the only things audible. Luz was trying desperately not to judge Amity based on the situation. She was clearly a different person, they both were, but something inside her, something still partially broken, was fighting to make itself known. </p>
<p>  "You're not that person anymore, and I guess that's the important thing. For now, let's just focus on what we need to do, it looks like we're getting close." Luz offered her a forced smile, and a pit began to form in Amity's stomach. She had really upset the young woman, and that was honestly the last thing she wanted to do. Luz was normally a bright ball of sunshine, and to see her like that, made her wonder how many forced smiles others had to see in the past. </p>
<p>  The large stone columns came into view of the massive museum, and Luz deduced that if there were anywhere to keep a heart, it'd be here. As they pulled into the parking lot, the building loomed over them, a towering beacon of dread to start their day. Exiting the car, they found that Willow and Boscha were already waiting for them by the steps. Everything looked like it was intentionally well worn, as if to add to the feel of history of the museum itself, though that was just an observation Luz had as she ascended the steps. </p>
<p>  Amity offered to pay for everyone's tickets in, but Willow refused, citing that she couldn't take advantage of her hospitality like that, so she settled for paying for herself and Luz. Upon entering the museum, the main hall was large, with many different exhibits on display, including what appeared to be a hand of the Titan kept in a large casing against the left most wall. It had long since decayed, and all that remained was the solid, sturdy bone. The sheer size of it was the main reason they had to keep it in the largest part of the building, towering over all other exhibits. </p>
<p>  "Okay, so should we split up?" Amity asked to the group who all shared a look of apprehension. "It's during the day, I can't imagine anyone would make a move with so many witnesses." She made the point to gesture to the people around them, and while there wasn't a large amount of people nearby, there was still enough to where if anything happened, someone would notice. </p>
<p>  "We stay in pairs, if we enter the wrong exhibit and no one is in there, we're easy targets." Luz's tone was stern, but clearly for the right reasons. The idea of any of her friends, or Boscha, getting hurt or worse made her sick. </p>
<p>  "Good point, alright, we'll take the left side with," Willow adjusted her glasses to see the exhibits. "History of the Titan and artifacts of Old Bonesborough." Both sounded like decent prospects to begin searching through, especially if any artifacts were clues about the Day of Unity. </p>
<p>  "Alright, that leaves us with Wild Witches and the History of demons. I say we meet back here after we're done and we'll check the upper levels." Luz commanded with confidence, seemingly moving past her previous bad mood. To see her bounce back so fast brought a small smile to Amity's face, and she followed after Luz who began walking towards an open door on the right side of the building. As they entered the room, it was dimly lit with displays on either side of a narrow hallway, maybe big enough for three people to fit through. All the displays showed some sort of ancient ways that magic was performed, and Luz could only stare at it with wonder. </p>
<p>  "That book we got is the only way a human can do magic now, probably," she thought aloud, not noticing that Amity was staring at her in the dim lighting. </p>
<p>  "I mean, probably. I didn't think humans could do magic until I saw you do it, so that was amazing to see." Amity spoke to her but had turned her attention to the exhibits, and noticed an old text passage about unification. As she read over it, Luz was beaming with pride. To be a human who does magic, how incredible was that? She felt confident, and then a mixture of sadness and regret as the earlier conversation began to play through her head. </p>
<p>  "Hey Amity, I'm sorry for earlier, I know it wasn't you who did what Boscha did, I guess I just wanted a reason to stay mad." She was idly tracing her fingers over a placard with information on an old system of covens that was now only a fleeting blip in history. </p>
<p>  "It's alright to be upset over what she did, and I'm not entirely without fault. I just wanted you to know I am sorry for how she treated you," she didn't look at Luz as she intently read the information. "Hey, so this bit here is about unification, it says that the Titan was actually killed as a result of Witches taking control of the magic of the lands. Apparently it intended to bring the Day of Unity then too." She was intently staring at the text in front of her, and Luz found herself staring as well, perhaps a little too long, at the green-haired witch relaying the information to her. She shook her head to regain focus, looking around the room at the other pieces of Wild Witch history. As she stepped a bit further down the hallway, she noticed that her footsteps seemed to echo more the further down she went, despite the distance between the walls and ceiling not changing. Stepping in place, she found the source of the increased reverberations. </p>
<p>  "Hey Amity, I think there's a hollow spot over here, come here." She looked for any sort of movable piece or handle as Amity walked over to her, and the thought occurred to her. What if it's sealed with magic? She tried to sense any sort of magical presence about it, but the place seemed to be buzzing with magic all around, probably from the artifacts, so it was hard to get a read. As she continued to focus, that same feeling of dread washed over her. The sickening pulsing of something inherently evil dwelling below the surface, a sinister mix of magic beating as one. It was here somewhere. </p>
<p>  "Okay so bad news is I can't find the door with magic, so we'll have to check some other way. Good news is, there's a heart here somewhere," Luz spoke to her, hushing her voice as a family with their children came through the hallway. </p>
<p>  "Okay, so that means Belos is essentially trying to punish all witches for practicing magic, maybe because he's a human? Maybe it's a vendetta and he wants to even the playing field? I just don't get what the end goal of removing all magic from the world is," to someone who hadn't ever lived a day without magic, it was hard to grasp, but for Luz, who could never do magic, who recognized the power imbalance, it made a bit more sense. </p>
<p>  "Maybe that is just it, maybe he does want there to be no magic, then when the Titan is the only source of magic and he's the leader ruling with the Titan behind him, no one can oppose him." The idea was terrifying, a dystopian nightmare where literally millions will die when the Titan awakens. The family that was near them had walked off to another part of the exhibit, and Luz began feeling around on the ground for any sort of latch or groove to grab onto, hoping a hidden door would be waiting. Unfortunately, nothing she did yielded entry to the underground. </p>
<p>  "What if we came back during the night and tried to find it when there's no one here?" Amity proposed, and the thought actually did tempt Luz. </p>
<p>  "My only concern is if any cult members are still out there, we may run into them again. From what I can understand, each heart seems to have its own connection to the people it turns into its puppets. I don't know how, but I think they're all responding in different ways." They continued to look for another fifteen minutes before giving up, going with the idea of a break-in at night. An idea struck Luz, she knew just the right person she needed for break-in. Pulling out her work phone, she called the number she had most recently called out on and waited for an answer. </p>
<p>  "Hey Kid, I'm getting really good at recognizing your number. We just went by the house to get my car and saw you weren't there." Eda's voice rang out through the phone, and Luz had to turn the volume of her phone down at the audible difference in conversation. </p>
<p>  "Yeah, we got a lead, we're at the History Museum by the old high school, but we'll need your help later." Luz whispered into he receiver, and Eda seemed to notice her voice might be a bit too loud for the situation as she lowered it slightly. </p>
<p>  "If you're breaking into the museum after dark, of course I'll be there!" She said excitedly, and both Amity and Luz seemed to wonder how the older woman was any good at being a cop. </p>
<p>  "Okay, sounds good, we'll meet here once it's dark, they close at six but we'll still have time after." Luz spoke in a hushed tone as she looked around to make sure no one was listening in. </p>
<p>  "I'll be there, in the meantime I'll keep you updated on anything Lily and I find," and with that, she hung up, and Luz simply put her phone back in her pocket. A text came in immediately after from Willow, and she perked up at the contents of the message. </p>
<p>  'Found an artifact associated with the heart, and possibly a hidden door over here.'</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  "I'm gonna be honest, I have no idea what I'm looking at," Boscha spoke to the group as they stared at some strange, ancient mechanism. At the center of the replica construct was an image of one of the Titan's many hearts. The machine looked archaic, but seemed to resemble the support machines that connected the one Luz and Amity had seen yesterday. </p>
<p>  "Think of it as life support for the heart, it keeps it beating and alive, which allows its influence to continue." Luz said as she stared at the ancient machine. It was clear that this had been a plot for far longer than they imagined, yet somehow they had the information to keep the hearts alive. It was baffling to see something in a museum that she had seen in person, a living relic older than most, if not all of current Bonesborough. </p>
<p>  "So there's just these giant hearts underneath Bonesborough? How many even are there?" Boscha was surprisingly a decent voice of reason, as the entire situation sounded outlandish even to Luz. They began to examine the diagram, but nothing gave any indication on how many there might be. </p>
<p>  "I mean, we know at the very least it's two," Amity casually mentioned, and Luz actually laughed a little at that remark. It was such an obvious fact, so to hear it said aloud was more amusing than I should have been. </p>
<p>  "No arguments there, let's just hope Eda or the twins find something. Or maybe not and we hope there's only two!" Luz called out with a bit of optimism. "Now you mentioned a door in your text, where is said door?" She continued and Willow seemed to have the moment of recognition that she hadn't already showed them. She pointed past the mechanism to a back wall, and though it wasn't immediately obvious, the longer Luz stared at the wall, the more she was able to see a panel that didnt entirely match with the the others. </p>
<p>  "It could be a service door, but so far it's the best thing we have to go off of," Willow mentioned as she looked around, making sure no employees were near. A few other people seemed to be observing a nearby artifact, but otherwise the room they were in was empty. </p>
<p>  "Let's keep looking around. What we're looking for is going to lead underground, so that could be it, but it doesn't hurt to check out the rest of the museum." Luz said with gusto. She was feeling better, even despite being in such close proximity to the woman who made most of her high school career a living hell. Boscha seemed remorseful enough at how she had treated the young woman, so it made the situation feel a bit more steady. They wandered the museum as a group, as there were a few more exhibits that were large enough to need a few more sets of eyes. </p>
<p>  As the four made their way around the room, feigning interest in the history of the economy of Bonesborough, Luz glanced around as an uncomfortable feeling seemed to persist in the back of her mind. The only other people in the large display room were there to view the knowledge of a society long outdated. Amity walked over to her, making sure to get close. </p>
<p>  "That man over there in the white shirt has been following us and keeps eyeing us." She whispered to Luz without looking over at the man in question. The man had plain features, dusty blonde hair with a tired look about his face. He wasn't abnormally tall, but he towered over everyone in the group save for maybe Boscha. Luz pointed to a hallway that led to a darkened room for viewing how it was predicted the constellations looked long ago. </p>
<p>  "Let's head in there, text Boscha to watch him. If he moves to follow us we'll try to duck out and leave," she glanced over to see that the man in question had gotten a bit closer, so she led the charge and walked towards the room after Amity sent the text for backup. As the room cascaded into darkness, lit up only by stars, they both were a bit awestruck. Large constellations, vaguely resembling some of the symbols that Luz had seen in the book of magic she took from Belos's mansion, illuminated the projected night sky. It was truly mesmerizing, and she looked over to Amity who was just as captivated. The light danced against her skin, adding a shimmer to her golden eyes. She turned to face Luz, and when she realized she was already looking, both woman turned their heads away. The sound of a phone buzzing brought Amity back to reality, and as she grabbed it to view the message, she grimaced. </p>
<p>  "He's coming in, let's go," and with that, they began to walk towards the room's opposite end to find an alternate exit. The sound of the door they came in opening alerted them to the man who had just entered, and it was no surprise at seeing it was him. </p>
<p>  "Excuse me," he called out to the both of them, and Luz instinctively reached for her taser. They both turned to face him, but he seemed to read their expressions and kept his distance. "Are you by any chance Luz Noceda and Amity Blight?" He spoke steadily, but he was clearly nervous, which did not sit well with either of them. </p>
<p>  "Who wants to know?" Luz demanded as her grip on the taser tightened. He made sure to hold his hands out where they were both visible, trying to appear as little of a threat as possible. </p>
<p>  "My name is Steve, I'm a detective under Lilith Clawthorne, she asked me to watch over you two while you were here," he didn't exactly appear timid, but he certainly wasn't holding himself with the confidence of someone who was sent to protect them. Luz and Amity shared a look, neither going off of their defensive positioning. </p>
<p>  "Show us your badge," was all Amity said as she stepped up to stand directly beside Luz. He nodded and held up his badge, tossing it to them so they could get a good look. Amity caught it and held it up under the light of her phone screen, and sure enough, everything seemed accurate. Something didn't sit right with Luz though. </p>
<p>  "How did Lilith contact you, and you get here on such short notice? We only spoke to Eda about twenty minutes ago." She was highly suspicious, and he seemed adept at sensing that. </p>
<p>  "This is my day off, I'm an anthropology major on top of an officer, so I come here from time to time to get a firsthand look at how humans survived and thrived in the age of Wild Witches. You can call Lilith to confirm, I'm only here to make sure you're safe." He seemed sincere enough, but Luz was not entirely convinced. She pulled out her work phone while staring at him, hitting the auto dial to call the last person she spoke to. </p>
<p>  "Luz, tell me you have more news," Eda just about yelled into the phone, and it was loud enough that all three of them heard it. </p>
<p>  "Eda, I've got a guy here, says Lilith sent him to watch over us. Did she mention anything about that?" Luz never took her eyes off the man, and Amity simply tossed his badge back to him. He fumbled with the catch but managed to stabilize, placing it back in his pocket. </p>
<p>  "Is his name Steve?" Was all Eda asked, and they only hoped that meant good news. </p>
<p>  "Yeah, so he is legit?" Luz was beginning to relax, even more so when Eda began to loudly laugh. </p>
<p>  "That man is harmless, he's so in love with my sister, he'd break any law to show it. What do you kids call them? Simps? He's a simp for Lily!" She was practically howling, and it was obvious by Steve's discomfort as he shifted in place that he had heard every bit of that conversation. </p>
<p>  "Well, thanks Eda, didn't need to know all that, but I appreciate the confirmation." Luz felt like she got a glimpse into a part of his life she didn't need to see, and she certainly didn't like it. She hung up the phone and put it away, seemingly relaxed now as Steve took a tentative step forward. </p>
<p>  "So, are we good now?" He asked, awaiting their approval before he continued. Both women looked at each before turning back to him and nodding. </p>
<p>  "We appreciate the protection, really we do, we've just had some bad experiences lately." Luz spoke softly, as if the room around her would cave in if she spoke any louder. Steve nodded in understanding, still keeping a sizable distance so they didn't feel threatened. It was kind of him, even if for his own uncomfortable reasons. </p>
<p>  "I'm here if you need anything, just pretend I'm not even here!" He smiled, and it was soft and caring, like a man who had not yet seen tragedies that would harden his outlook on life. A thought struck Luz, of their earlier conversation. </p>
<p>  "You said you're an anthropology major, so you must know quite a bit of history about the human side of old Bonesborough, right?" She was making a generalized assumption hoping it would pay off, and to her relief, he perked up, seemingly excited to share his knowledge. </p>
<p>  "Oh definitely! Humans had it rough back then, no doubt. What did you want to know?" He seemed so sincere, but Luz still looked around to make sure no one was listening in. </p>
<p>  "Do you know anything about the human relations to the Titan's Hearts?" She posed the question to him and he gave a slight nod. </p>
<p>  "So the witches of old Bonesborough were attempting to block humans from doing magic, and did end up succeeding from what I've read. The goal for the humans was to resurrect the Titan to steal the magic away from witches, to make it so that no one could do magic. Apparently, the humans found the hearts of the fallen Titan, and by sacrificing magic users and users with magical potential, they believed it could bring the Titan back." He seemed to be quite knowledgeable of the subject, and this gave them the opportunity that they'd been looking for. </p>
<p>  "So do you know how many hearts there are supposed to be?" Luz stared at him as he thought, which seemed to take longer than she wanted it to as she eagerly tapped her foot. </p>
<p>  "Four I think? I'm not certain on the exact number as it's not really written down the exact amount, but I can recall reading about four separate accounts of humans finding the hearts." That was a number they could go off of. Even if there are more, they know now a minimum to look for. Luz proceeded to thank him profusely, and Amity found herself smiling at her upbeat attitude once again. They had finally gotten a solid lead, had a set amount of hearts to go after, and it wasn't even noon! </p>
<p>  "You are a lifesaver Steve!" Luz was excited, the day had already started out great, though a rumble in her stomach let her know she had forgotten to eat that morning. </p>
<p>  "I'm just happy to help, I'll keep an eye on you and make sure you're safe till you leave, if that's alright," he spoke, albeit hesitantly. Both women nodded, which drew a smile from him. That would mean he could give a full report to Lilith whenever he called her. </p>
<p>  "We'll see you around, Steve. Be safe," Luz smiled as they waved goodbye and exited the planetarium, rejoining Willow and Boscha who were waiting right outside. </p>
<p>  "Are you okay?" Willow hurriedly asked, checking to make sure the two women were still in one piece. </p>
<p>  "Yeah, actually. He was an undercover cop checking in on us for Lilith. He also gave us some details on the heart situation," Luz proceeded to explain what he just informed them as they walked out of the hallway and out of the exhibit room. As they entered the main room once more, Luz found it to be eerily quiet, especially during the day. She looked over at the others, but they were conversing, she just couldn't hear them. The only thing she could hear was the distant sound of a heartbeat. </p>
<p>  'You do not wish to do this, Luz Noceda' </p>
<p>  The voice rang out in her head, but sounded like it came from everywhere all at once in their current room. She tried to act normal as she continued to walk with her friends and Boscha, but the heartbeat was becoming louder. As they reached the center of the room, the thumping of the heart was louder that her own thoughts, just beating over and over again. She winced when it became too loud, resisting the urge to place her hands over her ears. </p>
<p>Amity noticed Luz staring directly ahead, her silence an indicator that something was wrong. She placed her hand on Luz's shoulder, and she flinched at the sensation. Luz could suddenly hear again, sounds rushing back in a wave of overwhelming noise. </p>
<p>  "Luz can you hear me?" Amity asked, and it snapped Luz to attention. She nodded at the green-haired witch, offering a weak smile as she was clearly a little shaken. "What happened?" Amity continued, hoping for an answer. Luz hesitated, unsure of how to explain the overwhelming sensation. </p>
<p>  "I uh, I think the heart just spoke to me, and I think it knows we're coming for it."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A bit of a short chapter as I segue into another longer chapter.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  As they exited the museum, the group stopped for a moment at the top of the steps to chat. The early afternoon had begun to warm up the air around them, but a cool breeze blew by, carrying with it the smell of a nearby diner. A light grumble from both Amity and Luz's stomachs earned each other a knowing look and a laugh. </p>
<p>  "Well, Boscha and I actually have some things we need to do, but we'll meet you back here tonight if you want the help!" Willow said happily, and Boscha seemed to shoot her a look of concern. </p>
<p>  "We will?" She whispered, a hint of fear behind it, but Willow's upbeat smile didn't waver. </p>
<p>  "We will, or at least I will if you don't want to do it, but I'm doing this." Willow had apparently made up her mind, but Boscha seemed to be warring with herself over the idea. After a few more moments of pondering, she relented with a sigh. </p>
<p>  "Fine, if for nothing else but to make sure you're safe," she placed her face in her hand before running her fingers through her hair. She was clearly not as excited for the idea as the other three were, but reasonably so. </p>
<p>  "Your presence will be appreciated, don't worry," Willow lightly patted her cheek, and that seemed to earn a small smile from the exasperated woman. "Anyways, we'll see you two later!" She said as her and Boscha left, heading back towards their car. The air was still between Luz and Amity for a moment, neither knowing what to say. It had certainly been a strange morning, though Luz wasn't injured before noon this time so it wasn't all bad. Her hand had begun to feel significantly better from the previous day, and she was able to give it some movement now without it hurting immediately. </p>
<p>  "So," Luz began, "that diner we just smelled, they smelled kind of good," she was smiling, and Amity matched her smile, both of them seemingly on the same page. </p>
<p>  "You're right, and since we are investigating, we might need to make sure that there's no leads there." that drew another laugh from Luz as both women began walking down the steps, opting to walk the short distance instead of driving. The streets had light foot traffic at this time of the day, people paying them no mind as they passed. The two spotted the diner near the corner of an intersection, the sounds of a few cars passing by. As they approached the door, Luz pulled it open, holding it with a dramatic pose. </p>
<p>  "After you, my lady," she laughed as she offered a bow, gesturing for Amity to enter. The green-haired witch simply laughed at the extravagant display, offering a curtsy of her own. </p>
<p>  "Why thank you, my lady, you are too kind," both women entered the diner laughing, and found that the quaint establishment was relatively empty. A sign on a podium near the front simply said 'please seat yourself', so the two grabbed a booth near the door. Sitting across from each other, they each grabbed a menu from a small holder near the end of the table. </p>
<p>  "Oh, breakfast for lunch!" Luz excitedly whispered to herself, but in such close proximity, Amity clearly heard it. She smiled up at her as Luz enthusiastically flipped between pages of the menu. There was a comfortable silence between them as they pondered on the menu, ultimately until Amity broke it. </p>
<p>  "Luz, how do you do it? After yesterday, which seemed beyond difficult for you, how do you manage to stay so upbeat?" She had set her menu on the table by this point, her face now set with a lingering look of discontent. She wasn't intentionally making the face, but at the topic of such a sensitive matter, it was rather concerning. The woman across from her simply shrugged. </p>
<p>  "I have to just keep moving forward. I promised myself I'd see a professional when this is all over, so until then I just need to keep doing what I'm doing. And sure, this has been one heck of an ordeal, that's been equal parts exciting and traumatizing, but it does feel good knowing that I'm making a difference. It sounds kind of silly when I say it out loud, but I've always wanted to be a hero, to know that I'm doing something for a greater purpose. I think that's why I like Good Witch Azura so much, because I feel like I can do that!" Amity watched as the young woman's animated movements aided in telling her story. </p>
<p>  A strange series of circumstances led them to where they were now, and even she had to admit it felt a little good, albeit terrifying, to get to the bottom of this mystery. The thought nagged in the back if her mind of the reasoning behind it though. Now that she knew the reason for the Titan's revival, even though she knew the main goal was to stop it to save millions of lives, she couldn't help but think of what she might lose if she didn't stop it. Her magic, the part of her that's been a constant since she was little. The thought of having it forcibly ripped away from her and leaving her without power was a daunting thought that hung over her. </p>
<p>  "How are you holding up? I feel this has had just as much of an impact on you as it has me," Luz was now looking around for a waiter without moving in her seat, wondering where they may be, all while trying to give Amity her undivided attention. </p>
<p>  "Well, while I am still trying to process the thing about my parents, I think you've had it significantly harder than I have. But, thanks for checking, it's certainly welcome," Amity sighed as she leaned back into the booth, her attention directed up at the ceiling. Weird stains marked the tiles above them, likely the place used to be smoker friendly, but has since changed those policies. The sound of footsteps approaching alerted them to the waiter heading towards them. Amity sat upright in her seat, worrying about her posture as she looked down at the menu. </p>
<p>  "Welcome to Matt's, what can I get for you?" The man seemed apathetic at best, but overall appeared at least content to be there. Luz proceeded to order a complete breakfast with an orange juice, while Amity opted for a turkey club. She found she wasn't nearly as hungry as she had initially expected, perhaps she wasn't as okay as she thought she was. The waiter nodded and walked away, briefly walking back to set two glasses of water on the table for them both. </p>
<p>  "What we go through isn't a competition, it's understandable if this is hard for you. Have you heard anything from your mom yet?" Luz seemed unphased most of the time, but Amity watched as she winced after asking the question. "Sorry, you probably don't want to answer that, just forget I said anything." It was strange to Amity, to see the woman before her shrink into herself. To take up at little space as she could to get herself out of the question she had just posed. Amity simply shook her head, seeming to dismiss the concern. </p>
<p>  "It's okay, I don't mind. The answer is no, though. I think she's probably going to lay low for awhile, so she doesn't get taken in like," she paused, taking a steady breath before continuing, "like Alador." The thought of her father keeping such a damning secret while she lived in that very house was enough to make her sick. Luz saw the hesitation, frowning at the thought of making her friend uncomfortable. She tried clearing the air by changing the subject, which worked moderately well, well enough at least to carry them until food arrived. Luz admired the stack of pancakes in front of her, and noticed that Amity seemed to be smiling once more, and she wasn't going to mess it up again. </p>
<p>  The space between them was once again quiet, the sounds of a nearby TV and the clangs of pans from the kitchen the only things audible to them. Luz offered a bite of her pancakes to Amity, but she politely declined, though her smile was ever present on her face. Luz caught herself staring at it frequently enough, but in the setting of just the two of them, it seemed to be much more difficult to sneak glances without getting caught. She found the rest of her breakfast to be lackluster at best, and apparently Amity shared the sentiment as only half of the sandwich was eaten. </p>
<p>  "Oh!" Luz called out as she pulled her personal phone from her pocket, tapping to open the contacts page. "I only have you on my work phone, let me send you a text real quick so you can have my actual number! If you want it, of course," she slowed herself down, feeling like she was beginning to come across as pushy, though if she was, Amity didn't seem to pay it any mind as she nodded. </p>
<p>  "That's good, that means I'll be able to get frequent Noceda updates. Your life seems a lot more exciting than mine anyway," Amity laughed, pulling out her own phone to wait for the text. </p>
<p>  "Would you believe that this has also been the craziest few days of my life as well?" She laughed a sheepish laugh, thinking about how boring her life must appear to anyone else. In a way, she wished her life was crazy adventures all the time, always needing to save someone. But then the rational part of her brain tells her that that idea sounds outrageously tiring. What would her life go back to once they stop the Titan and Belos? Or rather, if they do. She thought about the countless nights at her own apartment, alone with a bag of takeout. Well, she had a few friends now at least, the Blights seemed to be nice to her, and Willow has been kind, even though her relationship with Boscha was still an issue. </p>
<p>  "Lost in thought?" Amity asked which snapped her out of the fog her brain had begun to put her in. She looked up at the witch, seemingly unprepared to answer before her thought process reset itself. </p>
<p>  "Yeah, I'm just, I'm happy that we're friends," she tried her best not to show how terrible her thoughts had made her feel, but she knew that Amity was good at seeing through her facade, so she didn't bother hiding it. </p>
<p>  "You don't seem too excited about it," she wore a smirk to let Luz know she was joking, and Luz could feel herself smiling at the interaction. It couldn't be that bad to overshare just a bit, right? </p>
<p>  "Well, I haven't exactly had many friends in my life, and ever since college it's been even fewer. I don't know, people usually just tend to think I'm weird and end up leaving." She tried desperately to keep up the charade that she was happy, but try as she might she just couldn't muster up another fake smile. It hurt, knowing the people around you didn't care about you as a person and used you as a placeholder until someone else came along. </p>
<p>  "Well those people were clearly idiots if they didn't want to be friends with you. I've experienced more in the past two days than I ever had before. You've been a great friend to me, I couldn't imagine NOT wanting to be your friend," Amity was going through a list of things in her head that, because she didn't have many friends either, they could do once this was all over. It was alarming to her how easily she relaxed around Luz, like they had been friends for life and just now reconnected. She found that the shell she normally kept herself in was no longer present around her. </p>
<p>  "Well I'm glad you think so, I'm just glad I can be my actual self around you. I write a lot of fanfiction, I hope you're okay with that," Luz laughed and heard that Amity was laughing with her. </p>
<p>  "Well I hope you don't mind if they're peer reviewed, because I also write fanfiction," she was having an excellent time, and Luz was glad that she could have this brief moment of peace to an otherwise chaotic start of the day. Amity's phone buzzed as she received a text from Luz, saving the contact immediately. It buzzed again as another message came through, this time from Edric. </p>
<p>  "Oh, looks like we've got some news from Ed," she remarked as she opened up the little chat bubble that displayed their conversation. <br/>"He says that they found a place that matches what we're looking for. Here move over, he sent a link and I think we should both see it." She got up from her seat and quickly made her way into Luz's booth, trying not to think about how close they were. She opened the link up to an article over a construction project from a few years back. It was located on the edge of the city where a lot of available land was up for sale. As they read through the article, a section caught their eye, the name of the building that was going to be built there at some point. </p>
<p>  'Blight Industries'</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chapter 20</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  Luz paid the bill for the somewhat depressing lunch, thanking the waiter for dealing with them and tipping rather well. He seemed appreciative, though she couldn't shake the notion that he just didn't really care about much of anything. She motioned to Amity for the both of them to leave, so they both set out to return to the car. The sun was bright and slightly blinding as they exited the diner, making their way back towards the museum. They noticed that Steve was on the steps leading up to the big building with a book in his hand, enjoying the sun. Luz thought about peaceful he looked, and then  about how she had only been working for three days and already felt like she needed a day off. </p><p>  As they climbed into the car, their spirits seemed to be lifted higher than earlier. Both women seemed to be exuding positivity, ready to tackle whatever today had to throw at them. Turning the key in the ignition, Amity willed the car to life before putting it into drive to head towards their newest destination. Finding out that her name is on a big project like 'Blight Industries' was jarring for sure, but not entirely unexpected. After learning what she had about her parents, she now expected their hand in everything they came across. Luz was humming along quietly to a Good Witch Azura song that was quietly playing through the radio, so Amity decided to turn it up, both of them now happily jamming out to the upbeat rock. She was tapping along on the steering wheel when her phone buzzed once more to let her know that another message had been received. </p><p>  "Hey Luz, would you mind seeing if that's important?" She handed the phone to her without taking her eyes off the road. There was a quiet pause as she heard the phone unlock and then more silence. </p><p>  "It's uh, it's your mom," was all Luz could quietly get out, the tension immediately noticeable in the witch. "Do you, want me to read it?" She continued hesitantly, and when she received a nod in response, she read the message word for word. "Amity, I don't know what you're trying to pull, but your father is in jail because of you. Call me as soon as you get this!" She stopped reading and waited for a response. Amity gritted her teeth as she thought about the audacity of her mother. </p><p>  "Call her," she forced the words out, not directing them at her friend but rather the idea of her mom. Luz recoiled a bit, but hit the call button from the chat log, and the phone began to ring through the speakers of the car. </p><p>  "Amity Blight, how da-" </p><p>  "No, you listen to me, mother!" Amity spat out, the other end of the phone going silent. "How dare you pin the blame on me! I have been nothing but a perfect daughter to you both, and I'm sick of it!" She glanced over to see Luz pulling out her own phone, pressing the screen a few times and pulling up an audio recorder. She gave Amity a sheepish smile as she waited for Odalia or her to continue. </p><p>  "Are you quite finished? Your father is far more important to the plan than you or my other excuse for children are. I had hoped they would have gotten all three of you so I wouldn't be having this conversation right now." She sounded rushed, like the conversation they were currently having was beneath her. Amity's face went bright red with anger, and Luz was hoping she wasn't going to strain herself too much by doing it. </p><p>  "That was you! I didn't want to believe it, I wanted so badly to think that it was planned by someone else. But of course it was you, why wouldn't it have been? You and dad were the real poison of the family." Luz heard her voice waver at the end, she could see the pain in Amity's face, the toll this was taking on her. Her voice of anger towards her parents was clearly something she had been planning for a long time, but when she was confronted with the opportunity, it still hurt more than she could ever have prepared for. </p><p>  "I'm sending our assistant to bail your father out as we speak. You are no longer welcome in our home, Amity." The words didn't seem to phase her much, she seemed to have already expected it. It was strange to feel the anger slowly begin to fade into a calm understanding. She would probably have to move in with one of her siblings, which was a worrying thought. </p><p>  "You're doing me a favor then. And good luck getting dad free of his terrorism charges," Luz watched the redness in her face subside. She was able to see the exact moment she stopped caring for her mother, which was both a triumphant moment, and a depressing realization. Amity hung up the phone via the display near the radio, and just let out a prolonged sigh. That was uncomfortable for Luz to be a part of for sure, but it was probably for the best. At least now she knows she is able to comfort her friend, or attempt to. She shut off the recording and slowly turned to Amity as far as the bucket seat would allow. </p><p>  "You uh, wow, you really told her off. How are you feeling?" Luz got the impression that the woman beside her was holding that in for a long time, clearly her parents hadn't been great the entire time and it was just coming to a head. Amity's expression softened, no longer having the silent look of contained rage. Now she just appeared hurt, sad that the realization of such a heinous action was committed by someone who raised them. They tried to have their own children killed off in a plan that was set to remove all magic. Why would they want that if they too were witches? </p><p>  "I'm, wow I don't really know what I'm feeling right now. Upset? Mad? Mostly I think I'm just, disappointed. All my life I lived in the shadows of my parents, hoping that one day they would change. Now that I know for a fact that isn't going to happen, I don't really know what to do with that knowledge." There was a long pause before anything further was said. Luz was trying to collect her thoughts so she didn't say something out of line or unintentionally insensitive. She had never known anyone who's parents disliked their own children to this extent, so this was a delicate situation. </p><p>  "It's their loss then, all of you are amazing. I can't believe anyone could look at you and think, 'man, I wanna be mean to her'. You could always stay with my mom or me until you're back on your feet?" Luz offered her hospitality in the best way she knew, and a smile crept onto Amity's face at the grand gesture. She was too nice for her own good, sometimes. </p><p>  "I think I can manage, but thank you. Just knowing that you've got my back is all I need. Also, I think we're getting close, I can see the building from here." She pointed to a large building looming over anything near it, though it stood by itself, the immense size of it meant that the shadows it cast eclipsed anything within its immediate vicinity. As they pulled up to the building, they noticed that, while it looked to be a finished building, there was no one in it. A sign out in front had a grand opening date of three months from the current day. Amity pulled into the massive parking lot and parked her car as close to the building as she could, the large double doors firmly shut. Luz looked at the building, assessing the best course to take to get in. Amity was already exiting the car, stopping to open the back door on the driver's side, retrieving the mechanical staff they had kept in the event they would need it again. </p><p>  Luz was quick to get out of the car to join her, and hesitated when the staff was handed to her once more. She glanced at it and then up to Amity, who had a soft, yet unreadable expression. Reluctantly she took the staff from her, and they strode up to the large, glass doors. </p><p>  "They're going to be locked, do you have any ideas on getting in?" Luz posed the question with a hint of concern behind her voice. This could be a trap, so she sent a text to Eda despite the cop saying she probably wouldn't know how to respond. </p><p>  "Yeah, I've got a few," Amity responded flatly as she walked over to some decorative bushes. Laid near the base were assorted rocks, clearly just there to make the scenery look either nice or to give it more of a natural feel in a completely unnatural setting. She grabbed a large stone, sizing it up and tossing it once straight up to gauge the weight. Then, with all her might, she drew her arm back before hurling it forward as hard as she could. The rock met glass, shattering it instantly, the sound of shards hitting the ground the first audible thing they noticed. The second was the quiet alarm beginning to sound, likely alerting local authorities that someone has broken in. </p><p>  "Okay, I guess we're doing this then, huh?" Luz nervously said as she watched Amity enter through the now missing door. The green-haired witch walked with purpose, making her way into the main lobby to take a look around. "Maybe we should have waited for me to confirm that a heart is actually here first?" Luz continued, and she watched as Amity's body went rigid. Likely, she hadn't thought of that. </p><p>  "Oh, uh, yeah maybe that's not a bad idea," she muttered to herself, her face a light tinge of pink from embarrassment. Luz found herself smiling, Amity had had tunnel vision for destroying something that belonged to her parents and relished in the destruction before thinking of the consequences. It didn't take much effort for Luz to sense the wickedness that resided there, that horrible sensation of evil that each heart has emanated. </p><p>  "Well you're in luck, it's definitely here. So I guess we just look for either a long set of stairs or a service elevator?" Luz had entered the building, looking around for anything that might lead them to their next step. As she was peering around, they were both alerted to a frightening noise coming from down the hall ahead and off to the right from them. The sound of footsteps, and from more than one person. Amity and Luz shared a look of horror as they quickly scanned the room to look for a spot to hide. It became increasingly clear that there wasn't anywhere for them to go, and these people were probably responding to the call about a break-in. </p><p>  "What do we do?" Amity hurriedly asked her, the intensifying feeling of fight or flight beginning to take hold. Luz seemed to be thinking fast, trying to opt for an approach with minimal violence. </p><p>  "Okay, so if it's security, we explain it's a misunderstanding and run. If it's the Coven, we try to reason with them, and if that doesn't work, we use forceful reason." Eloquent as always, Luz made sure the staff was gripped tight in hand as the footsteps were almost to the main lobby. She was tense, even more so as the footsteps entered the lobby. </p><p>  "So after the third time of turning him down, he tried to get my sister to ask me out for him! Can you believe that?" The voice belonged to Eda, and as she entered they noticed a dog walking alongside her. He wore a police vest that fit him perfectly, and glasses, which was an odd thing to see on a dog. </p><p>  "Eda?" Was all Luz got out before they noticed her, and the destruction behind her. </p><p>  "Hey kids! I see you're following in my footsteps and causing as much property damage as possible." She was laughing as she walked over to inspect the door that now laid in a pile on the floor. </p><p>  "Eda, how did you get in? Also, how did you know there'd be a heart here?" Amity was beginning to panic once more, this time at the prospect of damaging property and facing consequences for it. But Eda's laughter didn't seem to hold her actions in mind. </p><p>  "We came in through a window in the back, but I like your method a lot better. And to be honest, I didn't know there was one here. We got a call about some disturbances in the area so I decided to pop in and check it out. Barcus here is just a lot better than I am at finding hidden doors." Upon closer inspection, they noticed that the dog, Barcus, had a strangely human face which tipped Luz off that he may be more than just a police dog. He barked something to Eda and she seemed to be listening intently. </p><p>  "I'm going to go ahead and ask, what's he saying?" Luz wasn't sure if Eda could actually understand him or if she was simply humoring him. </p><p>  "He says that Amity is beyond stressed right now, and that he sniffed out an elevator when we came into the room." Luz and Amity shared a look between each other, both wondering the same thing. </p><p>  "Eda, how do you understand him?" Amity felt frustrated, not at the situation, but that she had gotten so worked up over nothing. It was a culmination of everything that had happened in the last half hour that ultimately made her feel stressed. </p><p>  "It's more about reading body language and understanding his intent. Barcus is a detective, just like me." As she gave him a knowing nod, a voice came through on the radio near her chest, reporting an alarm triggered at the address of Blight Industries. She pressed a button before speaking, leaning down so her face was close to the receiver. "This is Detective Clawthorne, I'm at the address now. It's a false alarm, the wind must have blown too hard against the door and triggered it." She was smiling, and she winked at the pair of women who were both staring at her in shock. As she ended the brief chat with the person at dispatch, her smile turned sly. She had bought them more time and a possible alibi if there weren't many cameras. </p><p>  "Eda, you are single-handedly the best and worst cop I've ever seen." Luz was now smiling at her, and that got Eda to throw her head back in uproarious laughter. </p><p>  "You have no idea," she wiped a tear from her eye, and motioned for Barcus to lead the way, where he huffed and began walking towards a solid wall on the other side of the room. There was a large desk that would probably be used as a receptionist desk, and behind it on the wall was a large logo for Blight Industries. He walked behind the desk and was examining the wall, periodically pawing at a portion that didn't have the logo on it. After the fourth attempt, he pawed at a bare portion on the far left of the wall, and a panel popped out. It was about four feet high, and the crude pathway it concealed was just slightly smaller. </p><p>  "No one's claustrophobic, right?" Luz gave a nervous chuckle, but ultimately offered to go first. She reached into her pocket and got a firm grip on her taser before entering, and crouched to enter the pathway. It was a relatively short corridor that led to another room, a small room with no windows so it wouldn't be visible from the outside. Sure enough, a small elevator was placed against one wall, and seemed to be the most recent addition in the building. Eda was the last one into the room, being the tallest person she had the hardest time getting through. </p><p>  "So we get in, kill the heart, hopefully we avoid fighting another Slitherbeast, and we get out. Easy peasy," there was a quiet understanding that everyone knew the game plan as they piled into the elevator. It was a bit cramped, but it was about the same size as the one they had to take yesterday at the shipping company, so Luz knew they'd fit. </p><p>  Barcus let out a low growl as they began to descend, and that was something that they all universally knew the meaning of. Hearing Eda confirm it somehow made it worse. </p><p>  "We're not alone here."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well we're nearing the 50k word threshold, which I honestly never expected, as well as over 2k hits! Thanks to everyone for their continued support, it really does mean a lot!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Chapter 21</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Trigger warning for death and blood</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  The elevator slowed to a halt, giving one last pause before the doors opened with a shudder. The room was relatively dark, save for a few lights interspersed to give some field of visibility. Anything beyond the heart was eclipsed in the same darkness as they had seen with the previous one. The sound of thumping the only audible noise aside from their footsteps as they stepped out. It was a strange sight, this heart seemed to be connected to the same type of tubes as the last one, but a giant glass dome surrounded it as well. Everyone was on edge, they couldn't see whoever it was Barcus has sensed, but they knew they were there. Eda pulled out her pistol from the holster at her side, making sure to keep it low to avoid any unnecessary casualties. </p>
<p>  As she swept through the room, the other three walked towards the heart, Barcus in awe by the sheer size of it. He barked something to Eda, drawing a laugh from the older detective. </p>
<p>  "What did he say?" Luz called out to her, her hand firmly grasping the taser that she'd gotten accustomed to holding. </p>
<p>  "He said that that's Steve's heart for my sister," she snickered and it actually drew a quick giggle from Luz. The joke was innocent enough to break the tension that all of them were currently feeling. Though when Eda stopped and raised her gun, the feeling returned, and seemed to intensify as her stance solidified. "Hands where I can see them!" She called out, but from their perspective, they couldn't see what she was aimed at. Luz made her way to one of the machines to feign interest in the workings of it, but in reality just wanted a closer look at the person Eda had at gunpoint. </p>
<p>  As she touched the machine, she noticed the figure that had drawn Eda's attention. Whoever it was was seated in a chair facing the heart, slumped over as if they had fallen asleep. Eda pulled a flashlight from her belt, flicking it on to point directly at the person, and instantly she regretted that decision as the figure lit up before her. It was Alador Blight, slumped over in an ornate chair as if he had been watching the organ beating in its repetition. Without needing much inspection, it became apparent that he had suffered the fate of many others in the growing plot for magical upheaval. He had been eviscerated, with the same precision as all the victims prior to him. His hands were tied behind his back and his legs were firmly secured to the legs of the chair. </p>
<p>  The entire scene looked staged, as if whoever had killed him had placed him in the chair postmortem. "Hey kids, don't come over here. We've got a bit of a situation," Eda called out, though the damage had already been done for Luz. She felt herself wretch, the thought of the dead over the past few days coming rushing back to her. It was a strange feeling, the rushing of memories accompanied by the sourness of her stomach made for a horrible, surreal experience. She doubled over to attempt to quell her stomach, using the machine in front of her as a base, and found that despite how hard she tried, she couldn't stop the resurgence of the tower of pancakes she had eaten over an hour ago. </p>
<p>  "Luz, are you okay?" Amity called out, moving to her as fast as she could. This, however, put her in clear view of the spectacle of the man strapped to his own coffin. Conflicting emotions immediately began to tear away at her. That's the man who wholly abandoned her and her siblings, who tried to trade them a seat of power in a cult where no power would be distributed. That's the man who's callous dealings and shady negotiations landed him and his family as targets. A man unfit for smaller business because of how voracious he was, with companies being consumed in mere hours after he convinced them to merge with his own. </p>
<p>  But there also sat her own father. The man who held her as a child when she was upset. The man who took her to school and made sure that other parents knew if she was bullied, their own child wouldn't be attending that school much longer. She remembered late night talks during her teen years when she was still pondering over her attractions to the same gender, and his advice that always stuck with her. 'Don't spend your life second guessing yourself. Do what makes you happy, even if others aren't happy with it'. He knew her mother wouldn't be okay with it, and yet he was there to support her every step of the way. He stuck by her through it all, and she realized he was the only reason she continued to stay in that house. Another thought struck her. </p>
<p>  What if he wasn't a part of this? What if he was telling the truth last night, and the last thing Amity ever told him was that he wasn't a father to her? She clutched herself in fear, a long, shuddering breath escaped from her lips as she fought back tears. What if he had been in the dark, and her mother was pulling all of the strings? What if she set him up to take the fall, and Belos knew that they'd take the bait? </p>
<p>  "How did this happen? He was in a holding cell just last night, I was the one who put him in it!" Eda voiced her exasperation to Barcus who had walked over to her, placing a gentle paw on her leg. </p>
<p>  "Ah yes, how did the obvious trap turn out to be a trap? Really, detective, for a woman of your experience I expected better," the voice was distorted, mocking, an inhuman attempt at arrogance. From nothing, Belos formed behind Alador's body in a strange display of pulpy vines, the gross squelch giving the indication that whatever magic he was using was not natural. He held his staff in hand and the obvious red glow from the glass orb indicated that the magic was being channeled through it rather than himself. </p>
<p>  "I'm getting really tired of hearing your voice, you know that?" Eda pointed her gun at him, but he simply ignored her. He tipped the chair to the left, both the chair and the body falling heavily to the ground. Amity cried out, the culmination of her remorse finally spoken as she realized the mistakes she may have made. </p>
<p>  "Don't you all see? This is far greater than any of us!" Belos walked to the glass dome encasing the beating heart, placing a hand against it as if to connect with it. Eda's aim adjusted, putting two bullets into the glass, piercing directly through and hitting the heart inside. Belos turned to her, his eyes seemed to be staring her down as he pointed his staff in her direction. The same vines they had seen earlier coiled around her, constricting as they went. Trying to fight it proved useless, as her hands were firmly pressed to her sides which prevented her from firing or casting spells. Her gun fell to the ground when the grip became too tight to hold on, the fear of her fingers breaking a real possibility. </p>
<p>  "Let her go!" Luz yelled at him, trying to sound imposing as her voice was still wavering from being sick just before his arrival. His body shifted to where he faced her, but his attention was back on the heart, clearly trying to make sure it was continuing to beat. The bullets didn't seem to have much of an effect on it, likely the wounds would be too small to cause any serious damage. </p>
<p>  "You I can't figure out. Why would you want to help witches prevent you from being the same as they are? Why wouldn't you want to level the field and no longer live in the shadow of others who are gifted because they stole what was ours?" He sounded genuinely curious, like he had all the answers except that one and it was frustrating to not know. </p>
<p>  "They aren't different from me. Just because they can do magic doesn't make them different or better. We're all living, we all share this world, so why should I be mad at something that happened ages ago?" Her voice stabilized as she glanced over at the dome. Two large cracks had appeared from where the bullets entered, she just needed to get past Belos, break the glass, and stab the heart. Easy enough, right? </p>
<p>  "It is an injustice that has been carried for too long! I will be the one to condemn the witches to our fate!" He turned away from Luz, facing Eda once more. "And I'll start by taking your magic, detective," he began approaching her, only to be interrupted by Barcus who dove for his throat. Belos's magic was quick, vines entangling the dog detective in a similar fashion to how Eda was currently restrained. Luz needed to act now before it was too late, throwing caution to the wind, she began to run at him while his back was turned. As she closed the gap, she swung sideways with the staff, blade first, directly into where he chest would be. He vanished, reforming in front of her to face her. The sound of glass shattering froze him in his place, and he seemed to realize that that was the plan all along. She knew he'd avoid it, and purposefully swung to hit the broken dome. </p>
<p>  "Let Eda and Barcus go or I stab the heart right now!" Luz threatened, staff held at an angle to make it easier to rush the heart. Though he only seemed to laugh at the prospect. </p>
<p>  "You're going to kill it anyway, regardless of my decision. My best chance is to take as much power from this room with me and leave. For someone as powerful as Edalyn Clawthorne, I had expe-" he was cut off as a gunshot rang out. A bullet had traveled through his neck, leaving a small gushing wound as he desperately tried to clamp down on his throat with a gloved hand. Turning to see the culprit, there stood Amity, gun in hand and look of malice upon her face. He was too distracted with Luz and the dome that he hadn't noticed her move around the other side of the heart. He coughed and attempted to gargle something out, but the blood stopped any words from forming. He fell to his knees, desperately clawing at this chest to suck in air, his attempts all in vain as he collapsed on the ground, face down in a newly forming puddle of blood. </p>
<p>  "Wow, I didn't think you had it in you," Eda's voice was low, a hint of surprise behind her words. She had just watched Amity Blight kill Belos to stop him from hurting anyone else. The vines vanished, releasing both her and Barcus who both hit the ground with a thud. They let out an audible groan as they lay splayed, the pressure from the vines clearly had bruised them as discolorations had begun to appear on Eda's arms. </p>
<p>  "Amity? Are you okay?" Luz asked as she tentatively approached the youngest Blight. She remained stock still, gun still pointed at the space where Belos was before she pulled the trigger. Tears began to well up in her eyes, her hands heavily trembling until she dropped the gun on the ground. She just stared at the tipped over chair on the ground, her father, lifeless, with a twisted expression of pain on his face, knowing his daughter's distrust as this very last consolation. She walked to his body slowly, crouching on the ground next to him. She finally let herself break as she buried her face in the cloth of his sleeve, tears flowing freely as she quietly begged for him to come back. </p>
<p>  Luz stared at her worriedly, wanting so bad to console her and tell her everything would be alright. But she knew that it wouldn't be, she knew that this was too much for a simple condolence to fix. Eda walked to Luz, taking the staff from her hands. </p>
<p>  "She's going to need you, kid, just be there for her when she's ready." She rested her free hand on Luz's shoulder to show her support, though that didn't help at all when they both saw Amity crying into her father's arm. Luz made her way over to the weeping woman, gently placing a hand on her back. It seemed to earn no reaction, so she withdrew her hand, staying near her for if she needed a friend as soon as she was ready. Eda walked over to them, undoing the ropes that bound him to the chair. </p>
<p>  "I'm going to kill the heart here soon, I'll carry your dad out of here and we can work with your brother and sister to set up a funeral for him. But for now, we have to go, okay?" She spoke softly, but stern enough that Amity seemed compliant to move away from him. Showing a considerable amount of strength, she lifted the chair with Alador in it and set it back upright, making sure he was secure and not going to slump to the floor before back away. Barcus watched Eda with curiosity as she spun the mechanical staff in her hand, walking to the still beating heart. He opted that it would be best to wait by the elevator, unaware of anything that may come out of the beating organ. </p>
<p>  Eda seemed to hear something as she raised the bladed end of the staff, listening intently as an unseen voice spoke with her. She gave a laugh that was accompanied by a snort before driving the staff into the mass of muscle tissue. She made sure to slice the same cardiac vein that Luz had previously in their last encounter with a heart. Exactly like last time, the viscous heart fluid poured out, washing away the blood on the ground from Belos. When she was satisfied with her destruction, Eda walked back to the two women and handed Amity the staff. She gave her a reassuring smile before leaning down to pick up the body of Alador and throw him over her shoulder. </p>
<p>  "What do we do with Belos?" Luz asked quietly, staring at the man face down in the fluid of the Titan's heart. </p>
<p>  "I'll call in two ambulances when we get back up top, this is going to be one heck of a situation to explain to my superior," Eda ran her free hand through her hair and ruffled it lightly, her gray mane resuming it's wild bounce. Luz looked to Amity, whose eyes were locked onto the body that Eda was carrying. It was a strange sensation, because she knew at some point last night she had the notion that Amity didn't care about him. She briefly wondered if it had been a facade she had put up to feel less terrible about the possible things her father did. </p>
<p>  They all loaded into the elevator to head back up, the discomfort on Amity's face evident with the situation. Upon reaching the surface, Eda was already making call ins to dispatch. Within ten minutes, they had two ambulances and a squad car at the building, the bodies being loaded in as gently as possibly. Amity immediately called Emira as she regained service, the call being answered almost as soon as the first ring finished. </p>
<p>  "Hey Mittens! How goes the hunt? Was their secret building a good lead?" Emira called out happily, but when she heard the sound of Amity crying, she went into damage control. "Amity, what happened? Who hurt who?" Her voice of concern sounded sincere, and Amity could hear Edric in the background asking what was wrong. </p>
<p>  "I think dad was telling the truth. I don't think he was actually a part of the plan and I think it's been mom all along." She was trying to keep her composure, but the gentle sobs would occasionally break through and cause her voice to falter. </p>
<p>  "Amity, is dad okay?" She heard the words, she registered them, but all she could do was cry into the receiver. Her brain repeated the same words on repeat that had been haunting her. </p>
<p>  You're no father to me.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Chapter 22</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  Eda waited for the paramedics to retrieve the body of Belos, but when they returned empty handed, a new concern burned itself into her mind. Luz watched as she talked with them, she was doing her best not to raise her voice at them for simply doing their jobs. Eda walked back to the room with the elevator and disappeared for a few minutes, only to return with no body as well. Luz swallowed the growing lump in her throat as the fear of what might still be lurking among them grew. </p>
<p>  She offered to drive Amity back to her mom's house if she wasn't feeling up to driving, to which the Blight was surprisingly compliant. Luz may not have owned a car, but that didn't mean she couldn't drive. She walked to Eda before doing anything else, she had to tell her she needed to take Amity back to her siblings. </p>
<p>  "So bad news, kid," Eda began, a look of irritation adorning her face. "It looks like either Belos wasn't dead, or that was a decoy. If he did steal Alador's power, he could have easily set up an abomination to take his place, but there's no way to know for sure." Eda was pondering on the situation as Luz kept glancing over at Amity. </p>
<p>  "I have to take Amity back, she needs to be with her brother and sister right now. Can you call me if anything comes up?" Her only concern right now was getting her friend back as fast as she could. Eda looked over Luz to see the youngest Blight already in the passenger seat of her own car. Her stare was vacant, a thousand thoughts clearly running through her head with no way to pin one down. </p>
<p>  "Sure can, in the meantime, relax. You've worked harder than any PI I've ever known, just take a break for a bit. If you don't hear from me before sundown, just meet me at the History Museum once it's dark." Eda ruffled Luz's hair, giving her a quick smile before walking back to the other squad car to talk to whoever was inside it. Luz quickly returned to the car, climbing into the driver's seat and noticing that the key was already in the ignition. Without hesitation, she turned the key, engine roaring to life as she looked over to her friend. The pain was still there, staring straight ahead out at the ambulance that held the body of her father. </p>
<p>  Without another word, Luz put the car into drive and pulled away, the looming shadow of Blight Industries beginning to fade away behind them. There was a long swathe of silence before either of them broke it, Luz making it her job to stay as silent as possible. </p>
<p>  "Do," Amity quietly began, hesitation in her voice, "do you think I'm a bad person?" She wasn't facing her, instead choosing to look straight ahead as she asked her question. Rather than wait for her mind to overcomplicate the answer, Luz went with the first thing that popped into her mind. </p>
<p>  "Absolutely not! Last night, you reacted in a way that made sense, given the information we had. How could you have possibly known your mom was behind it all?" Luz was trying to not exaggerate her hand movements and keep them on the wheel, and she finally realized how much tended to speak with her hands. It required physical restraint to stop herself from doing it, as she tightened her grip on the steering wheel. </p>
<p>  "I just feel so terrible about what I said to him. He wasn't a bad father, just a bit absent when I was younger. If anything, he was the one parent I could turn to, and now he's gone." Amity clutched herself once more, and Luz put a hand on her shoulder for comfort, other hand firmly gripped on the wheel. She knew a thing or two about absent fathers, but not enough about caring ones. </p>
<p>  "I'm not really the best at situations like this, it's been my mamí and I for as long as I can remember. But what I can say is that he probably understood your anger, he probably saw how it looked in retrospect and could see why you were angry. Your dad seemed like a really intelligent man, I'm sure he knew." The words seemed to ease Amity's mind, as she let out a long sigh, but offered nothing else. </p>
<p>  "I do have a bit of bad news though. Apparently Belos wasn't dead, because his body was gone by the time they got down there." Luz continued, and finally she noticed Amity had looked in her direction, tired, bloodshot eyes reacting to new information. </p>
<p>  "Well, to be fair I've never actually fired a gun before, that was just a very lucky shot," she grimaced at the memory, remembering how loud and jarring it was. She watched as Luz seemingly remembered something unsavory as her face twisted in disgust. It was a strange expression for her, as Amity hadn't seen her make that face yet. </p>
<p>  Luz was reliving her own instance of taking the life of another on repeat, and regardless of whatever she was told, it didn't seem to ease her mind. The first instance of her involuntarily doing magic resulted in the loss of life of another. Why would she ever want to do magic after that? Maybe humans weren't meant to do magic because of that exact reason. </p>
<p>  "Is something on your mind?" Amity didn't want to pry where she shouldn't, but something was bothering her friend. She only intended to try to get information out of her if she wanted to divulge it. </p>
<p>  "I'll just sound like a broken record if I keep talking about it," Luz's voice was somber, a quiet contrast to her normal peppy self. She clearly wanted to talk about whatever was eating away at her, but couldn't determine if that was the best course of action. </p>
<p>  "If you don't want to keep talking about it, I understand, but if I had to guess based on that, this is about what happened yesterday at the station?" Amity attempted to delve into the mind of the young woman next to her, briefly putting her own problems out of her mind. She watched as Luz shrugged, trying desperately to make herself seem more alright than she was. </p>
<p>  "I, I really don't know, I think I need a nap," Luz forced a laugh and attempted to play it off as a joke, despite knowing it wouldn't fool her passenger. Amity noticed Luz was much better at comforting others over herself, and it made it more apparent that she had always prioritized people she cared about. Amity decided not to press her, they had both been through enough recently and maybe just needed a bit of time to cool down. She just hoped Luz would open up when she felt more comfortable around her. </p>
<p>  They arrived back at the Noceda Residence after hitting what felt like every stoplight in the city. Luz noticed her mother was likely still at work as her car was nowhere to be seen. Upon entering the house, the sound of two additional voices triggered alarms in Luz's brain, immediately crossing through the kitchen into the living room. Sitting on the couch and coffee table were Emira and Edric, but also Viney and Jerbo. They both looked at her, stunned as a deer in headlights before Viney went into damage control. </p>
<p>  "Luz! Hey! We just came inside to freshen up before we head out. Lilith sent someone to take over for us because, well, we've been at it for awhile," she acted as if Luz would be mad, but it only earned a small chuckle from the tired PI. </p>
<p>  "I was actually wondering when you were going to give yourselves a break, you've been out there since yesterday afternoon." Luz looked at the twins who were looking into the kitchen for Amity. "She's going to need you," she told them, and they nodded, moving to the kitchen as fast as they could. </p>
<p>  "Did something happen?" Jerbo was hesitant with his question, clearly ready to backpedal if what he asked was too personal. Luz simply nodded, but didn't divulge information, feeling it wasn't her place to do so. </p>
<p>  "Well we're here if you need anything. Funny thing, we actually have known Edric and Emira for a long time, we kinda went to school with them." Viney still seemed to be smiling, albeit a bit more carefully in light of the situation the Blights were currently in. </p>
<p>  Luz's eyes lit up at the prospect of getting to know the twins when they were younger. "Oh! So what were they like? Were they as, I don't know, 'twinny', as they are now?" She was watching their expressions carefully, seeing that they both seemed to be quite interested in the twins. </p>
<p>  "Oh it was much worse in high school than it is now. They were notorious for pranks, and they were always together. Seeing one by themselves usually entailed you catching them in the bathroom or when one was miraculously sick when the other wasn't. Also, Emira had a huge freakin' crush on me, and I suspect she still might." Viney regaled her side of the story, Jerbo rolling his eyes at her last addition. </p>
<p>  "Emira has always been bad at communicating with others about her feelings. Edric was only good at crying about his feelings and never accurately expressing them." Jerbo laughed but he saw Viney's smug expression and knew his joy was about to be stomped. </p>
<p>  "You know, I don't think Edric ever did figure out it was you who asked him to Prom. They both ended up going stag because he was too shy to approach Ed directly, and Ed was too oblivious to piece it together that it was Jerbo who set up his convoluted promposal." Viney's grin sold the story, and Jerbo's flustered face drove it home. The two were probably only a few years older than Luz so she couldn't understand why she had never seen them while she was attending. The thought of her keeping her head down to avoid bullying may have something to do with it, and she shuddered at the memory. </p>
<p>  "Well we should get going, we don't want to overstay our welcome," Jerbo mentioned as he stood up from his spot, stretching after not having moved for a bit. </p>
<p>  "We don't?" Viney was grinning at him, clearly meaning it as a joke. He lowered his eyebrows at her, leaning down to flick the fish hook hanging from her ear. </p>
<p>  "No, we do not. Can you tell Edric I'll call him later after I've slept for a solid twelve hours and showered." Jerbo directed the question to Luz, pulling Viney up from the couch. She was still smiling mischievously even as he nearly dragged her along behind him. They made it to the door, and as he pulled it open, Viney waved one last goodbye to Luz. </p>
<p>  Now she was alone with her thoughts. She walked to her room, shutting the door behind her before striding over to the bed. As she sat down on the edge, it became abundantly clear that she had been bottling everything up, as all the terrible thoughts she had had over the past few days began to assault her all at once. </p>
<p>  What if she wasn't cut out for this line of work? What if she hadn't killed that man? What if she was endangering Amity by bringing her along with her? What if her mother became a target because of this? She began to breathe faster, feeling her breath hitch in her throat. Her heart was beating in her chest so furiously, she could hear it in her ears. She closed her eyes and put her hands against her head, attempting to will herself to be alright, but nothing worked. </p>
<p>  She felt lost. Lost in a job that she was unprepared for. Lost in a life that's been nothing but work and torture. Lost in a world where she was born lesser than others and paid the price for it growing up. She allowed herself to cry, it was the one thing she could think to do to ease some of her own pain. She removed her shoes and brought her knees up to her chest, holding her legs close for comfort as she rest her head against them. </p>
<p>  She thought about the people out in the kitchen right now, who she had to protect. She thought about Eda, who had been such a supportive mom friend to her. She thought about Willow who was willing to drop everything to help her. She needed all the help she could get, but she would make it through this in one piece. After about ten minutes of encouraging thoughts to drown out the bad ones telling her she's never going to receive forgiveness, she set her legs back down and began breathing through her nose and out of her mouth. </p>
<p>  With her heart rate slowly returning to normal, she reached into her pocket to grab her personal phone. Quickly tapping away through her search engine, she found the phone number she was looking for, hitting the button to quick dial it before pressing her phone to her ear. It rang three times before someone answered. </p>
<p>  "Positive directions counseling, how can we help?" The chipper voice called from the other end. Luz sucked in a sharp breath, knowing she needed to take the first step. </p>
<p>  "I uh, I need to set up an appointment. I need help."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks to everyone who continues to read this, it means the world to me that so many people have checked out this little story. You all are amazing!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Chapter 23</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is a bit of a shorter chapter, as well as more light-hearted. I wanted to have a bit of a break after the last couple of chapters since they were rather heavy. I hope you all like it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  Luz hung up the phone after her ordeal with getting her mother's insurance processed and got up from the bed. She took a deep breath, ready to face the world, and more importantly, her friends. She found it strange, as she entered the living room once more, the Blights were all sat around the couch, all turning to look at her as upon exiting her room. </p>
<p>  The turn and stare in unison was admittedly kind of creepy, but she knew by now that Blights were naturally nosy. A look of concern graced Amity's face, her brow dipping as she saw the exasperated look on Luz's face. It was obvious that she had been crying, but not wanting to pry, they waited to see if she made the first move. </p>
<p>  "Hey, you need anything?" Emira quietly posed the question, trying not to shatter Luz's facade of being okay. She just shook her head, not providing anything further. No one in the house seemed okay at the moment, the Blights having their own inner turmoil they were clearly dealing with. </p>
<p>  "This is far more depressing than I'm used to dealing with, anyone want to play a board game or something?" Edric spoke up, breaking the silence between everyone. The other three shared a look, maybe that wasn't such a bad idea. </p>
<p>  "Yeah, that actually sounds like fun. Let me go see what we still have," Luz's voice was quiet, but there was a hint of pep behind it, seemingly revived by the idea of relieving her mind of the fog she was in. She walked into her mother's room and went to the closet where the old games were stashed. She retrieved a few from the top shelf, wiping a bit of dust off as she walked back out with them. </p>
<p>  "What games are you all ready to be stomped in?" Emira's trademark smirk was back, which earned a small smile from Luz as she walked over. Edric scanned the pile and his eyes landed on 'Monopoly', the Blight twins now both wearing the same devious grin. </p>
<p>  "Well we've been getting along too well, I think it's time I remind everyone in the room why I'm the best." He reached forward from the couch and grabbed the game from the pile, slapping it back down to symbolize his choice. </p>
<p>  "Oh Ed, wrong choice. I'm going to make you eat those words," Emira's glare was fierce, so fierce that neither her nor Edric noticed the look of warmth that Amity and Luz shared. It was refreshing for both of them, to have a bit of normalcy while the world seemed to be falling apart. Luz brought a chair out from the kitchen, offering to be banker, and offered to order takeout while they played. No one seemed to oppose, and so the hours ticked by as Amity trounced everyone mercilessly. </p>
<p>  Luz was the last to stand against her undeniable reign, with several properties with hotels. But Amity had two full sections with a combination of houses and hotels, so no matter what property she landed on, it was threatening to bankrupt her. Each dice roll was sweat inducing, and ultimately her time came when she rolled doubles, both times landing on one of Amity's properties. </p>
<p>  "Well, congratulations, my love for you is now much less than when we started! You are truly a heartless corporate husk," Edric gave her a slow clap to show both his disdain for her victory, and appreciation for the savage thrashing she dealt out. Luz was smiling at her, and Amity felt herself smiling back as they shared a laugh. </p>
<p>  For a brief moment, they both forgot their own personal traumas, the lingering thought that everything will come back shortly a real fear. But for now it was nice, just four friends hanging out, trying not to think of the inevitable plot to undo the world as they knew it. </p>
<p>  "Oh, Edric, I almost forgot. Jerbo said he'd call you after he's had some sleep and a shower," Luz relayed the message to him, and he seemed to light up in excitement. </p>
<p>  "It's about time, I didn't think he'd ever admit that he had a thing for me!" He exclaimed, throwing his hands out in dramatic fashion. Emira rolled her eyes, clearly keen to the entire situation. Luz began to put away the board game as she looked at the clock. It was just past four, so there'd still be several hours before it got dark enough to break into a museum. The sound of the back door unlocking grabbed their attention, revealing Camila in her scrubs. </p>
<p>  "Mija, I'm home!" She called out, the sound of her setting her keys on the table disrupting the noise from their discussion. She appeared in the doorway, her smile present as she scanned the room, seeing all three Blights were still present. "It's good to see everyone, has there been any updates in your big case?" She turned her attention to Luz, who nodded as she tried not to think about the horrible things she had witnessed that day. </p>
<p>  "We're one step closer to stopping the grand scheme, we're actually heading out tonight to go after another lead," she stood up from the chair, the sound of popping from her joints as she stretched. </p>
<p>  "That's good news! Hopefully you get this solved soon, I've been worried about you after I knew what kind of case you were dealing with." Her mother was a bright ball of sunshine to her, and though Camila appeared tired, she always seemed to have optimism to share with her daughter. She took notice of the board games laid out on the table and just smiled, shaking her head as she walked around the corner to her room. </p>
<p>  "Your mother is amazing," Amity said quietly, and Luz simply offered a big smile, nodding in agreement. She knew she was lucky to have a caring mother, and realized it must now seem rather alien to the Blights in light of recent events. She wondered if the Alador incident was also planned or if that was an unnecessary side effect of her mother siding with Belos. </p>
<p>  "So Luz, what are you going to do after all of this done and over with? Are you going to keep doing what you were doing?" Emira crossed her legs, something that seemed fluid for her given how delicately she moved her leg. </p>
<p>  "I think so, I mean, I went through all the trouble to get my license. This case isn't going to be the norm, and though I'm having a really rough time with it, I'm confident we're making it through this. I expect the rest of my job to actually be rather boring!" She laughed, this time more genuine, with no hidden pain behind it. This time, she really believed she would be okay, and that was what she had been trying to tell herself from the moment things went south. </p>
<p>  That nagging voice telling her she wouldn't make it, that she wasn't cut out for this, was wrong. She could do it, she just needed to stop trying to do everything all at once. She felt lighter, even though the literal weight of the world rested on her shoulders, she knew if she could handle this, she could handle anything. </p>
<p>  With two hearts down, one located, and possibly only one more to go after this, it seemed that everything was beginning to be within reach. She found herself smiling at the notion, that despite how difficult everything had been, she hadn't crumbled. She looked over to Amity and watched as the youngest Blight turned her gaze away from her, a light blush adorning her face as she was caught staring. </p>
<p>  Her mother exiting her room in casual clothing reminded her once more to the fact that she had come home, and she saw that Camila, too, was smiling. She was looking right at Luz, happy to see her daughter in a better state of mind. </p>
<p>  "You know, there's a few decks of cards in the cabinet under the coffee table. I used to play poker when I was younger if any of you kids know how to play," she walked over to the group, and no one saw the devious squint in her eye when everyone agreed to play. The first few rounds she feigned needing to remember the rules as cards were dealt for five card poker. </p>
<p>  Every round after that was a clear demonstration of how they had all been hustled. She still smiled sweetly as she read the room excellently every time, calling the twins' bluffs and watching as they each only had a pair. She had had three of a kind. It was a repeated slaughter as she seemed to know when to back down, and when to double down. </p>
<p>  "I don't think I like this anymore," Amity whispered to anyone who was willing to respond. Luz nodded in agreement as she looked at her mother. </p>
<p>  "Mom, how did you get so good at this? And why did you hustle your own daughter?" She wasn't actually sad about it, if anything it was rather impressive. But she planned to try to play to her emotions and get her to slip up. </p>
<p>  "I got really good at it when you were still a baby, when your father," she cut herself off, clearly not wanting to go down that road. "When you were little, we were rather short on money, so I learned how to play to try to get us some extra money for food. I'm actually banned from that casino outside of town because they thought I was counting cards!" Appealing to her sense of motherly love did nothing to stop the beating they received. It was brutal, and had they been playing for money, likely everyone else at the table would be left broke. </p>
<p>  "I'm suddenly less sad about my loss at Monopoly and more sad about my loss of dignity in poker." Edric threw his cards on the table as he folded once more, not willing to challenge the menace that was the short Latino woman. </p>
<p>  Luz offered to order her mother takeout from the same place they had ordered from but she politely declined. There were leftovers in the fridge calling her name is how she phrased it. As the minutes ticked by into hours once again, and the sun began to go down, the apprehension felt among the group began to grow. It was almost time to face the next terrible night, two more hearts to go. </p>
<p>  She was ready, even if she didn't truly believe it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Chapter 24</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  "I don't know how I feel about this," Amity muttered as she gazed upon the large stone building, hidden by the cover of night. They sat in her car, their shapes only visible by the moonlight that was cast down upon them. Luz had gotten a text from Willow saying they were on their way, and Eda was due to show up any minute. Eda seemed to have no problem with breaking into the museum after closing, which seemed like both a problem and opportunistic advantage. She only seemed to break the rules when she knew she was doing the right thing, but the law wouldn't be on her side. </p>
<p>  "I'm sure it's fine! Plus I've always wanted to go somewhere like this after dark," Luz's excitement wasn't exactly misguided, just a bit overly optimistic. Amity bit her lip as she watched a car pull into the parking lot, parking a few spaces away, and though it was dark after they shut off the engine and lights, she could tell it was Willow's. </p>
<p>  "We're waiting for Eda, right?" Amity posed the question as she retrieved her phone from her pocket, seeing that she had a new message from Boscha that just said they were on their way, followed by one a few minutes later saying they were there. A knock at the window startled both of them, Luz letting out a startled gasp. The light from Amity's phone was able to illuminate the shape enough to show Eda's sharp face and long gray mane of hair. </p>
<p>  Luz stepped out of the car, standing with the door open open as she looked over at the detective. "Eda, where's your car?" There was a joke in there somewhere, but they were all too worried about staying quiet to draw attention to it. </p>
<p>  "I parked it around the corner, you kids should've too but we're already here so I guess let's just get this over with." Her voice was just above a whisper, and though no one was around, it still felt too loud. She moved away from the car to allow Amity to exit, and the sound of two additional doors signaled that Willow and Boscha would be joining them shortly. A chill to the night sent a shiver through Luz's body, and she stood there wondering how it had gotten so cold so fast. </p>
<p>  "Hey everyone!" Willow chirped out before covering her mouth, momentarily forgetting that stealth was the main goal of the mission. Boscha glanced at her in astonishment. This was Willow's idea to meet them back here after dark, and she was already endangering the main goal. Willow seemed to catch the look as she looked over, throwing her hands up in a relatively defensive manner. Luz found herself smiling at the interaction, not at all worried about the possibility of being caught. </p>
<p>  "Okay, there's a side entrance that I can probably pick the lock to, let's start there. There's a security guard for the building, but I have it on good authority that he's on patrol of the second floor right now, so we'll need to be quick." Eda motioned for everyone to begin moving, no one arguing as they fell in line quietly behind her. They made their way towards the building, footsteps hushed as everyone did their best to silence them. </p>
<p>  Upon getting the door open, and stepping into the dark corridor, Luz became aware of the overwhelming magical presence that currently resided there. Or rather, the multiple presences that assaulted her senses. She couldn't pinpoint exactly how many there were, but she could discern at least the heart and what felt like one other witch's presence. </p>
<p>  She tapped Eda's shoulder, and as the detective looked back at her, she was holding up two fingers. The message was clearly received as she formed her staff, ensuring her moves stayed low and deliberate. The only lighting to light their way was from a few displays in the museum, clearly only left on for the security guard's benefit. As they exited the hall, they found themselves in the main room, the hand of the Titan looming over them. </p>
<p>  With no guard in sight, Luz took the lead, and she thought about the irony of it. Four witches all with powerful magic, and the human with a taser leads the way. There was a joke there as well, and she was missing every opportunity in favor of silence. As they entered the room with the hidden door, they all noticed the panel was moved to the side, revealing the entryway that was behind it. </p>
<p>  There was a dim light coming from the open path, the faint pulse of magic emitting from it only detectable by the one in the group unable to perform it. They crossed the threshold and began walking the short corridor, finding it led to what appeared to be a small break room. Sitting in the room around a table were two Coven guards, both with their masks off. They each had a cup in their hand, and seemed to not immediately notice the group until Eda pushed past Luz to put herself between them. </p>
<p>  "Nobody move!" She called out, her staff aimed at them. They had no time to reach for their own, so they simply put their hands up in submission. "Wow that was surprisingly easy," she whispered to herself, breathing a quiet sigh of relief. Luz recognized them as two people she had gone to school with, which at this point didn't shock her. </p>
<p>  "You're making a mistake," the one guard called out. He was seemingly taller compared to the other one who was by all accounts, quite short. Eda just let out a billowing laugh. </p>
<p>  "Have you met me? Mistakes are all I make!" She cackled, and it seemed like it was an on brand thing for Eda to do based on how well she did it. "Now, is this like, your base of operations? Pretty sad if it is," she goaded them, trying to get a reaction out them it seemed. A scowl stretched across the smaller one's face as he scanned the five before him. His eyes settled on Luz, more specifically, her ears. </p>
<p>  "You, you're human, why are you trying to stop this? Aren't you tired of being a second class citizen to these tyrants?" He was attempting to appeal to her based solely on her humanity, and made it quite clear that was the only thing they shared in common. Luz gritted her teeth, how could they possibly know her? All they saw was her ears, they knew nothing of her life. </p>
<p>  "You don't understand what you're doing, if the Titan is resurrected, millions will die. Witches and humans alike, there will be no discrimination. I won't let that happen," she spat at them, and Amity got to see the raw, unbridled rage of the upbeat friend whose anger seemed like an uncontrolled storm. The two at the table seemed taken aback by the information, looking at each other puzzled. </p>
<p>  "That can't be right, I saw the vision that the Titan showed me, a world without magic, a world free of boundaries!" The taller one sounded so hopeful, so optimistic. Luz turned to him, still fueled by contempt. </p>
<p>  "The actual goal is to give a select few magic and let them rule as they see fit, in a dictatorship with the Titan at the head of it all. Millions will die when it awakens, leaving nothing in its path. You've been lied to," she seemed to be calming down, realizing that the two before her were not shown what she had been. They both seemed downcast at the new information, and though Eda didn't lower her staff, her features softened. </p>
<p>  "Were you two brainwashed like the others?" She asked as she retrieved a pair of handcuffs from her belt. They both shook their heads in unison. </p>
<p>  "We were spun the story and Emperor Belos showed us what we thought was the Titan's vision, and we were both on board after that. We were actually here tonight to have an audience with the heart, but we both got nervous and didn't go through with it." The smaller of the two placed his elbows on the table and put his head in his hands. They both knew that they had made mistakes, and it became quite apparent based on their reactions. </p>
<p>  "Alright, so here's the deal, I'm going to handcuff you two together, you're gonna stay put until we take care of the heart. When I get back, you'll come with me down to the station, say you were brainwashed, and we let you off with a slap on the wrist provided you haven't actually hurt anyone. You haven't hurt anyone have you?" She went through the deal with them and they quickly shook their heads, as if a vocal response would be too imposing. She walked over and handcuffed the taller one's right hand to other's right hand so as to make movement awkward. She confiscated the other two staves and handed one to Amity and Willow, and willed her own staff away. </p>
<p>  "What do you mean by 'take care of the heart'?" The taller one posed the question and Eda shot him a grin. </p>
<p>  "We're responsible for two other hearts meeting their tragic end, we need to make it a third and a fourth." She looked down an adjacent hall to see what looked like a spiral stone staircase leading down, and dreaded walking down into the depths of the building. </p>
<p>  "Aren't you worried they're going to run after we leave?" Amity whispered to her, and the thought seemed to cross her mind. They didn't know what lurked below, but also the two here could easily make their exit and never be seen again. They could also have good Intel on the inner workings of the cult. "I can stay behind if you want," the green-haired witch offered, and Eda's look seemed to twist. </p>
<p>  "You sure you'll be alright?" The question wasn't meaning to come off as terse as it sounded, but even Eda realized it after it left her mouth. She retracted, putting her hand to her throat as if she had been betrayed by her own voice. "Sorry, I know you will be, just a little concern there," she had watched Amity shoot Belos without hesitation, she knew that she was capable of handling this. </p>
<p>  "I'll stay with her, two on two just in case," Boscha offered, using it also as an excuse to get out of creepy cult activities. Amity smiled at her, happy that her friend had volunteered. </p>
<p>  "Good deal, we'll be back as soon as possible. Stay safe, and try to call me if anything happens. I don't know if I'll have service that far down, I usually don't, but who knows." Eda patted her shoulder, giving her a toothy grin as she turned back to the corridor. She gave a thumbs up to Luz and Willow, who both hesitantly returned the gesture. </p>
<p>  The corridor was surprisingly well lit, a lamp on the wall just above head height every eight or so feet keeping visibility high. The stone echoed their footsteps, and it must have been obvious for anyone waiting below that someone was coming. She only hoped that they were expecting the two upstairs and not two witches and a human about to end their mascot. Luz recalled a thought, one she hadn't addressed earlier. </p>
<p>  "Hey Eda, when you went to kill the heart earlier, you stopped and laughed before you finished it. What did it say to you?" With all the chaos of everything, everyone had forgotten it, so recalling it brought a smile once more to Eda's lips. </p>
<p>  "It told me it could make me the strongest witch in Bonesborough if I let it live. Honey, I'm ALREADY the strongest witch in Bonesborough!" She quietly proclaimed to the two behind her, clearly pleased with herself. Luz gave a inaudible chuckle, in so many ways, Eda was what she aspired to be. Confident, caring, and outstanding at magic. Maybe if she ever decided to pick the book of magical symbols back up, she could learn magic just like her. </p>
<p>  As they reached the bottom, the thumping they'd come to expect was drumming its beat throughout the room, only this time they were clearly not alone right from the start. Four figures stood around the heart, with another knelt down beneath it. Upon closer inspection, the one on the floor had their hands bound and tape over their mouth. The four others wore the beaked masks of the Emperor's Coven, but only the one closest to the detained carried a staff. Eda drew her gun, pointing it at the only one carrying a staff, and Willow stepped up beside her, confiscated staff at the ready. </p>
<p>  "Hands where I can see them!" Eda demanded, using her intimidating cop voice. It was clear that they hadn't heard them which seemed odd, but advantageous. The one holding a staff hesitated, looking from the person on the floor to the trio, and then the other Coven members. "This doesn't have to end badly for you, just put the staff down and we can talk this out." The words fell on deaf ears. They turned back towards the group and from the staff they shot a red orb of energy directly at Eda, who ducked to the right pushing the other two down as she went. She corrected herself and fired a shot, piercing through the primary hand that held onto the metal staff. </p>
<p>  Willow handed the staff she held to Luz when she saw an opportunity present itself. She knelt down and slammed her open palms to the ground, and green vines began to entangle themselves around the Coven guards. All four of them were brought to the ground, secured firmly against the stone by numerous plants. Luz stared in awe at the plant magic, as the only plant magic she had ever seen was the one spell she did to make a flower. </p>
<p>  "Alright, you all are under arrest," she began to read out their rights aloud, making sure they all heard her as she used her magic to conjure makeshift handcuffs. Luz and Willow ran to the person tied up, a look of relief in his eyes. He looked somewhat familiar, but Luz wasn't able to place his face to a memory. Willow, however, had no issue. </p>
<p>  "Aren't you Gus Porter, of Channel four news?"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Writing Eda is therapeutic for me because she's the sassy bird mom we all deserve.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Chapter 25</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  Willow peeled the tape off of his mouth, and he spit out what appeared to be a sock. As he spat a few times to seemingly get the taste out of his mouth, he finally looked over at the two who had come to his rescue. </p>
<p>  "You two are hands down my favorite people, her a close third. How did you even know to come find me?" His voice was ragged, clearly he was dehydrated from screaming and having that gross sock stuffed in his mouth. Luz thought of Edric and Emira after they had rescued them, how they'd gone more than half a day without water. </p>
<p>  "Well, to be honest it was a coincidence. We came here for that," Luz pointed at the heart, and he looked at her bewildered. She laughed as she untied him, watching as he rubbed his wrists likely from the chaffing. </p>
<p>  "You came for that? Why?!" He sounded incredulous, perplexed that two witches and a human would willingly come down for that thing. They helped him up as Eda finished handcuffing the last of the Coven members. </p>
<p>  "It's a long story but there's a plot to undo hundreds of years of magic by resurrecting the Titan. Or a Titan, I'm unclear if there was only one or not," Luz gave him a cheery smile, and the information didn't seem to deter him. Instead, he grinned with her, clearly fascinated by the details. </p>
<p>  "A secret plan with the crazy cult and a world saving adventure? This would make the story of a lifetime!" He excitedly called out, seemingly startling Eda as she jumped a bit while walking towards them. "I'm Gus by the way. Wait you already knew that, disregard that," he was clearly enamored by the idea of a good story, and he mentioned they were his favorite people, so he appeared happy enough with being around them. </p>
<p>  "I'm Luz Noceda, Private investigator!" She declared to the room, unaware that Eda had walked over to her until she took the staff from her hand. </p>
<p>  "I'm Willow, Willow Park. I work in Forensics, which is far less cool by comparison." She shrugged, but Luz scoffed, clearly not feeling the same. </p>
<p>  "This is all very touching, but can I get someone's help to get these four to the stairs so they don't drown when I cut this heart open?" Eda seemed tired, and rightfully so based on the day they had all had. Understanding that time was now of the essence, Luz and Willow began to help the detained towards the entryway, the latter ensuring that they couldn't just run at the first sign of freedom. </p>
<p>  Gus waited nearby, keeping a safe distance from the bound cult members on the off chance one should break free. He watched as Eda spun the mechanical staff in her hand, with an ease that insinuated she had spun a staff thousands of times before. With a graceful swing, she severed the main vein of the heart, swiftly moving away from it to avoid the gross expulsion of fluids. Gus immediately felt sick to his stomach as the liquid rushed out, covering his mouth as he did his best to contain the contents of his stomach. </p>
<p>  Luz walked over to him, patting his back just hard enough to send him leaning forward. "It was pretty gross the first time I saw it too, you never really get used to it either," she was smiling at him, and he turned to look at her, a mortified look upon his face. </p>
<p>  "The first time? How many times has this happened?" The tone of his voice was more of a demand for information, and he felt a himself involuntarily heave as his stomach betray him. He managed to stop himself before the other two walked over to join them, Eda arching an eyebrow as he once more composed himself. </p>
<p>  "You okay to give a statement once we get out of here?" She placed a hand on her hip, giving him the option to not be involved if he chose not to be. He looked at her, the gears turning in his head at the question before he registered her request. His realization hit as he looked over at the people who were all in handcuffs and trapped by plants, thinking about the idea them getting free. </p>
<p>  "I can do that, if that's what needs to be done," he leaned in closer to Eda, placing his hand next to his mouth to shield his lips from view from Coven members. "You can protect me from them, right?" He was clearly worried about being captured again, and rightfully so. She nodded offering nothing further, motioning for Willow to ease up on the vines, who obliged as the vines moved from entrapment to simple binds. </p>
<p>  "Alright you sorry lot, up the stairs," Eda commanded as she pointed towards the steps. They seemed to share a look of confusion as she barked the orders at them, the one who was initially holding the staff looking over at her. </p>
<p>  "Excuse me but, what is happening? I remember walking down those steps but I don't remember anything beyond that," his confusion was echoed by the other three, Eda just giving an exasperated sigh. </p>
<p>  "What day do you think it is?" The question was a simple enough answer, but when they answered with a response of the date over two months ago, that became a glaring issue. The heart must have had a lasting impact on them, and the obvious rounded ears gave away that they were likely more susceptible to the influence of it. </p>
<p>  "Oh boy, alright, Willow, the vines aren't necessary then, but the cuffs stay on. I'm taking you all in for questioning, and we're going to have a long chat about your creepy cult." She ushered them forward, and they seemed to move with no contest, clearly all uneasy about the situation. </p>
<p>  "So, do you all not remember kidnapping me?" Gus croaked out, his own voice betraying him by cracking. The unified gasp from the four was indication enough of their answer. </p>
<p>  "That's impossible! Why would we do that? We were told that the day of Unity was to unify everyone so magic wouldn't exist anymore. It was supposed to pacify everything," the leader spoke with pain in his voice, clearly receiving wrong information as well. "We never wanted to hurt anyone, I just wanted my kids to grow up in a world where they wouldn't be bullied for not having magic." The hurt behind their voice and the message they sent struck a cord with Luz. Belos was lying to them to get them to submit to the hearts, to submit to the Titan's will. </p>
<p>  He was taking advantage of their natural born weakness, and using it against them. He knew all too well the struggles, and still he chose to use them rather than side with them. The more she learned, the angrier she became, frustration beginning to build as they climbed the steps back up the main floor. She would stop Belos, nothing would stop her from making him face justice. </p>
<p>  The sounds of Boscha and Amity chatting began to grace their ears as they drew closer to the top. The words were inaudible, but Luz found herself enjoying hearing Amity's voice more and more the longer they were together. Not in a weird way of course, friends surely do that. As the light from the room became visible, they saw the two witches standing near the doorway, Boscha with her arms crossed and Amity lightly leaning against the wall. Upon entering the room with the four detained, the previous two still handcuffed were once again sat at the table. </p>
<p>  "I take it that it went well?" Amity offered a small smile at Luz who nodded with great confidence. Now on the surface, Eda pulled out her radio to contact dispatch at the police department that had begun to reassemble itself. When asked how many cars she needed, she just laughed and responded by telling them to send a wagon. The person acknowledged the request and the radio went silent, Eda sighing and combing her fingers through her hair. </p>
<p>  "What a day, huh?" She sighed, looking at Luz and Willow, both of whom seemed reasonably tired from the amount of steps. </p>
<p>  "Do you think you could handle the rest from here?" Willow asked as she stretched, smiling as she glanced over at Boscha. </p>
<p>  "Have you met me? I can handle anything!" The gray haired witch stood triumphantly before quickly hunching over. She bent backwards to assail everyone with an array of audible cracks from her creaking bones, laughing as she did. "Yeah, we've got this, you go home, I'll see you at work," she waved them off, and they both bid their farewells before quickly dipping out. </p>
<p>  "I hope they remembered the security guard. Speaking of, I don't suppose you know where he's at currently, do you?" Luz turned her attention back to Eda, who only offered a shrug in response. That was comforting. Amity smiled at the interaction, she had been trying to keep her mind busy all night, desperately avoiding the thoughts of earlier that day. Boscha had been a great relief since she didn't know the situation, so their conversations were solely responsible for keeping her resurfacing memories at bay. </p>
<p>  "I'm getting some well deserved sleep after thus, but would you be willing to meet up for lunch or something tomorrow to discuss your case? This story needs to get out, and the more people that know the truth, the better it'll be for you!" Gus was happy to be around people that weren't trying to kill him, his visible excitement lending itself well to Luz's. She looked to Amity, who had the final say in the matter, and though the Blight wasn't going to say no anyway, she found that Luz's face was incredibly hard to say no to regardless. She gave a quick nod in response, which drew a beaming smile from the excited PI. </p>
<p>  "We're so down! Tomorrow, around noon? At a better place than Matt's?" Luz remembered the less than stellar lunch and subsequent upheaval of said lunch, and a scowl stretched on Gus's face. </p>
<p>  "No wonder why it must have sucked, you got lunch at my arch rival's diner!" He spoke with such extreme distaste, you'd imagine the guy had committed crimes against humanity. </p>
<p>  "Your rival is Matt? The owner of the diner?" Amity's tone was incredulous, but his face expression was stern, jaw set as he nodded. She decided to leave that conversation at that, finding it not worth the effort to pursue further. </p>
<p>  "I know a good place we can go, give me your number and I'll text you the address," his expression relaxing as he pulled out his phone. A small bucket Keychain hung from a small section of it, and he waited patiently as Luz provided her personal number to him. </p>
<p>  "Cool, I'll text you here in a bit, once we're no longer around prying eyes," he glanced over at the six who all still wore the white robe of the Coven. They all seemed downcast, every one of them seemed to hold a look of remorse. "Even though I was the one kidnapped, I kind of feel bad for them. You think they were brainwashed?" He asked Luz, who gave a quick nod. She was about to say something when Eda's radio beeped and a voice from the other end informed her the wagon was there for the detained. </p>
<p>  "Alright folks, single file, out the way you came." She called out, making them lead the way in case anyone tried a last ditch effort to run. To her relief, no one seemed to oppose, and all began marching through out of the hidden corridor. On their way out, they passed the security guard who stared at them in astonishment. Eda gave him a wide grin, offering no explanation as they walked. </p>
<p>  She didn't wait for the security guard to unlock the doors for her, instead turning all of the locks herself and continued escorting the Coven members to the large vehicle. She opened the back door and motioned for everyone to climb in, two benches serving as seating, one on either side. As the last two, the two handcuffed to each other, climbed in, she closed the door and gave the vehicle two firm pats to let whoever was driving know that they were all in. </p>
<p>  They began to drive away, heading towards the direction of the police station. Eda put her hands on her hips, staring out at the vehicle before turning back towards the other three. </p>
<p>  "Any idea how many more hearts we're looking at? All these steps are killing me." Eda once again stretched, and Luz beamed a smile at her. </p>
<p>  "From everything we've learned, there's only one left!" She spoke a little too loud, but since they didn't need stealth anymore, none of them seemed to mind. Eda offered a grin, clearly pleased with the information. </p>
<p>  "That's what I like to hear! Alright, I've got to get back and write a report on this mess, then I'm going home and going to bed. You, with me, I'll take you wherever you need to go." She pointed at Gus who moved to stand beside her, offering a wave to Luz and Amity as the they walked back to Eda's cruiser. </p>
<p>  "How are you holding up?" Luz asked her as they turned towards their car, a moment of silence as the Blight gathered her words. </p>
<p>  "Not great, but this has all been a great distraction from it, so there's that. What about you? How are you feeling?" She didn't like that Luz only shrugged, clearly trying to deflect the situation. As they got in the car, she stared at the PI a bit more, hoping to press her for a real feeling. It seemed to have an effect, as Luz turned her face towards her lap. </p>
<p>  "Not great either, but all of this is almost over, right?" She didn't try to hide it anymore, showing that she was hurting as well. Amity offered her a sympathetic smile, both girls going through their own trauma. </p>
<p>  "You're right, it is almost over," she pulled out from the parking lot, the thought lingering in her mind more than it should've. </p>
<p>  It is almost over, isn't it?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>25 chapters! I'm stunned by all the reads and kudos this has received, and I'm so thankful for everyone who continues to read every chapter I put out. You all are the best!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Chapter 26</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  Her hands were cold and clammy from gripping the metal staff, eyes tensely trained on Belos. The crackling sound of magic being shot at them drew her attention, as a bolt of red energy went sailing between Lilith and Eda. Adrenaline pumping, heart beating in her ears, she redirected the staff to the masked assailant. The same crackling filled the air, the same red beam shooting out, the main difference was that her's connected. </p>
<p>  The force of the impact sent the person crumbling to the ground, knocking the mask from their face. As they fell, a cascade of green hair brushed out from under the hood of the Coven outfit. Luz saw the person behind the mask, lifeless golden eyes staring directly into hers. </p>
<p>  She screamed but nothing came out, then turned to Eda and Lilith to see they were gone. They had left, leaving her with the Coven. A shadow appeared from behind, towering over her as it began to eclipse her. </p>
<p>  "It's over, Miss Noceda. You've lost," the voice called out, echoing around an empty room. She realized she was in one of the heart rooms, the one under Belos's house. The heartbeat emitting from it was not right, they had definitely killed this one. </p>
<p>  "It can't be over yet, there has to be more time!" She pleaded, as if the voice around her would sympathize with her plight. She looked at the heart, noticing that it had begun to beat faster. Fleshy veins began to snake from the ground, forming around the heart and expanding outward. It was happening, the Titan was coming back. </p>
<p>  She felt herself get swept up by the tendrils, fixating her against where the heart was. As more and more veins piled overtop of her, she found herself rapidly losing vision. A firm strand laid across her throat, blocking her airway and sending her body into a panic. Her arms were heavy and pinned to her side, so she just cried out, tears streaming down her face as she fought against her inevitable end. </p>
<p>  "-uz," a faint voice called out from the darkness, how could someone else be here? </p>
<p>  "Luz?" The silken voice became more clear, flowing over her in her last moments. </p>
<p>  "Luz!" The voice was right next to her, and her eyes shot open as her surroundings became clear once more. She was on her floor, laying on her little nest she had made so Amity could take the bed. Staring down at her, worry in her eyes, was the very same person she had killed in what she was now realizing was her dream. </p>
<p>  "Luz, it's okay. It was a dream, you're safe," Amity spoke softly, trying not startle the poor woman anymore than she already was. Luz peered around the room, and upon finding that there was no Coven, and no heart, finally allowed her body to untense. She wiped her face, realizing that she had been crying in the waking world as well. </p>
<p>  "I'm sorry, I'm a bit a of a mess right now," Luz tried to shield her eyes from the woman in front of her, but the Blight's concern didn't waver. </p>
<p>  "What happened? In your dream, I mean," Amity spoke the question with hesitation, unsure if what she was actually asking was going to be upsetting for the poor woman. Luz sat up, attempting to compose herself as she leaned against the bed next to her. The woman sat near her waited patiently, not trying in anyway to rush her, and for that she was so grateful. To have a friend like Amity, it was so exciting and such an incredible relief. </p>
<p>  "Well, the heart we killed at Belos's mansion was back, the Titan began to wake up, and I uh, I relived the whole, 'killing a person thing', but this time it was you under the mask." Her voice became progressively quieter the longer she spoke, realizing how bad her dream must have sounded. </p>
<p>  "I mean, this has been incredibly hard on you, you're bound to have some pretty messed up dreams I would think," Amity spoke with a level voice, making sure that Luz could understand that she wasn't worried about the dream. If it held no power over the witch, then why should it hold power over her? </p>
<p>  "You're right, I just, ugh," she groaned and flopped back onto her pillow. "You really think what I did was right?" She stared at the ceiling, knowing they'd been over the discussion enough times for the answer to still be the same. </p>
<p>  "Given how horrible the situation was, yeah, I do. I'm not saying it was okay, because nothing about that situation was, but you did what you had to do to protect people you care about. That makes what you did acceptable in my book," Amity smiled at her, hoping she sounded as reassuring as possible. It seemed to work, as Luz offered a weak smile, not entirely convinced, but knowing the type of situation this was, she knew this wouldn't be the only time this conversation would come up. </p>
<p>  "Thanks, I just keep thinking that I've messed something up when I probably did everything to the best of my ability! I'm not sure though, I'm like, three days into working and I already feel like I need a vacation." She wondered when the last time she had had a break was, between school, her previous job, getting her PI license, putting in all the hours for it, she couldn't remember a day she had actually had time to herself. </p>
<p>  "Well, after this case is over, why not do just that? Haven't you earned it?" Amity had gotten back up, sitting herself on the bed, the night shirt she wore that belonged to Luz was of a popular show that they both had liked. Checking her phone, she noticed it was just after five in the morning. Sadly, she was wide awake, so she could either browse her social media for memes, or talk with Luz more. The latter sounded much more inviting, so she laid back on the bed once more, and they chatted for the greater part of an hour. </p>
<p>  Luz learned that Amity used to play Grudgby, she was even the captain for awhile before she quit to focus on her studies. It was strange, as Luz had never gone to a single grudgby match the entire time she went to school, primarily to avoid bullying at the time. But hearing Amity talk about her life was somehow calming for her, so she just let her go on about whatever she wanted. </p>
<p>  At some point during the rambling, Luz's fatigue had caught up to her, as the sound of light snoring graced Amity's ears. She leaned over the side of the bed to see the sleeping woman snuggled up in the covers of her nest. She looked incredibly peaceful, and she strangely found her heart rate had begun picking up as she looked down at her. Maybe it was from leaning over the bed, and the blood flow blah blah blah, she was definitely lying to herself at this point. She'd spent so much time around the woman in the last three days that it had begun to feel natural just being around her. Had she developed a crush on the woman sleeping less than five feet from her? </p>
<p>  She wondered who she was trying to fool, because it certainly wasn't herself. She had already told Boscha she was developing a crush, and who wouldn't? Luz was a hardworking, determined woman who set goals for herself, and fiercely defended those she cared about. </p>
<p>  She was in deep, and now her brain was only on thoughts of Luz. She rolled over and buried her face in the pillow, attempting to will her mind to go on any other train of thought. The feeling of her phone vibrating snapped her thoughts away instantly, Thanking anything other than the Titan for the distraction. Checking her phone, a grimace stretched across her face. It was from her mother. </p>
<p>  'I figure you have something to do with the reason your father isn't answering, so where is he?' The text was terse, demanding, and the typical response she expected from her mother. Her fingers began to fly across the keyboard, tapping away with her vindictive message. </p>
<p>  'Dad is dead, and the only thing you can do is blame me for something else? He was killed by your stupid cult. If you cared about the memory of him at all you'll stop this now and try to fix what you've done.' She was livid, the audacity of her mother to reach out to her AGAIN after how their last conversation went. She waited for the message to be received, knowing her mother would get confrontational. The buzz let her know her blood pressure was about to go up, but to her surprise, it was more of her mother realizing her actions had consequences. </p>
<p>  'That's impossible' </p>
<p>  'Alador can't be </p>
<p>  'What happened?' </p>
<p>  'Amity please tell me what happened!' Her texts were frantic, coming spaced apart but almost all in succession. It was jarring to watch her mother panic, but she's feigned concern just two days ago, so it's not entirely off the table in terms of acts she had pulled. </p>
<p>  'Belos kidnapped him or had his goons kidnap him and killed him, underneath Blight Industries. He stole his magic, and he plans to come for all of us, you included. I don't know what he promised you, but I don't think he's going to make good on it.' Amity was trying not to be hostile, giving her mother the opportunity to come to terms with what happened. </p>
<p>  'Your father was always the one who said it sounded like a scam, like we were being tricked, but I asked him to have faith in it for me. And look where that got us. I'm a terrible wife, and an even worse mother.' Amity couldn't exactly disagree with the notion, but it still hurt, somewhere deep down, to see her mother come to that realization. She lost the man she had fallen in love with, the man she would scold for spoiling their kids. </p>
<p>  'I know he's gone, but it's not too late to turn things around, mom. You can still help take down the cult.' Now was the time to give her mother the ultimatum. Help them, or turn her back on them forever. </p>
<p>  'I'll do whatever needs done. I'm turning myself in, and when Belos comes for me, you can be there waiting for him. I will let you know when I get back into town.' It took no additional prodding to get her to do the right thing, and Amity was quite surprised at how receptive she was being. It didn't make up for anything, but she was glad she could at least communicate with her mother in some fashion that wasn't mud slinging. </p>
<p>  'We'll be ready whenever you are. I guess, call me if anything happens before then.' She didn't know what to say now, she had gone in with a fire burning in her gut, but now it was just sad, for both of them. </p>
<p>  There were no more messages after that, and she wondered if her mother was actually going to make good on her promise, not feeling entirely confident in trusting her word. As she set her phone down, her attention was once again drawn to the sleeping woman on the floor. Her thoughts immediately ground to a halt as she realized in every situation she imagined dealing with her mother going forward, her mind had inserted Luz into every single one. </p>
<p>  She was in far too deep.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The next two chapters may or may not come out at odd times, maybe a bit early or later. Not sure yet. I'm getting married on Saturday, so my mind is really only focused on that. Thanks again for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Chapter 27</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A bit of a shorter chapter as some things are set up and put into motion.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>    Gray clouds had overcast the morning, a light drizzle of rain beginning to fall as Luz walked down the street. She held an umbrella to shield herself as she made her way to her office, the short walk feeling a lot longer as her steps splashed up droplets of water. Amity had offered to drive her, but she said it wasn't necessary since she wasn't staying, her only goal to put up a sign letting anyone who came by know that she'd be out of her office for a few days while she finished up a case. </p>
<p>  It was peaceful, this had been the first time in days that she was alone, and while she loved having everyone around, especially Amity, there was still that desire for solitude. She thought about getting coffee, ultimately deciding against it as she had had quite a bit lately and didn't want to become dependent on it. </p>
<p>  Making her way into the building, she stopped near the entrance where a mailbox was set up for each room. She retrieved a key from a keyring in her pocket and inserted it into the lock, turning it after it reached its end. Upon opening it, a small letter was the only thing in the small box, the lettering on the front handwritten. There was no return address, and the writing was oddly fancy for someone of her profession. </p>
<p>  Turning the letter over, she noticed there was a wax seal keeping it shut, and the idea of someone using a wax seal to send a PI a letter became increasingly amusing to her. She broke the seal and flipped open the envelope, pulling out a small square piece of paper. She did her best to read the fancy hand-written note, but wasn't entirely certain every word she read was accurate. </p>
<p>  'Salutations Ms. Noceda, </p>
<p>I hope this letter finds you well, and <br/>not under the influence of one of <br/>the hearts you have so desperately <br/>been attempting to strike down. It is<br/>to my understanding there is only one<br/>left to go, but you are at a standstill<br/>as it eludes you. Seek Grometheus, <br/>there you will find the answers you<br/>need. We will be in touch again. </p>
<p>Regards, </p>
<p>A fellow seeker of truth' </p>
<p>  It was odd, but to see some mysterious stranger assisting her felt nice. It felt like someone was watching out for her, someone who had just a bit more knowledge than she did about the situation. Now she at least had something to look into, some sort of lead. She continued towards her office, a strange feeling building in her chest. </p>
<p>  As she approached the door, alarms went off in her brain as she saw that her door was ajar. Immediately the thought occurred to just walk away, to not get into whatever she was about to. But that's her space. Someone had invaded her space, and threatened the sanctity of a place she believed to be safe. She wouldn't stand for that. </p>
<p>  She threw her door open, finding the office relatively in the same condition she had left it in when she walked out with Amity a few days ago. The only difference was the person sitting in her swivel chair, a familiar burned face staring back at her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as a strange energy pulsed through the room. </p>
<p>  "How did you know I'd come here?" Was all she demanded, his face showing no emotion as he stared through her. He shifted forward, placing his arms on the desk, motioning for her to have a seat across from him. She responded by pulling out her taser, pointing at him. "I asked you a question!" Her face was twisted with a mix of anger and disgust. She was tired of the games he was playing, feeling exasperation where fear would normally have gripped her. </p>
<p>  "Miss Noceda, please have a seat, there are no need for theatrics. I pose you no harm," he held up his hands to show he didn't have gloves on, and she took note that his staff was near the door by a cheap coat rack she had picked up on sale. She kept the taser in her hand, finger on the switch to engage it whenever she needed, but moved closer to the chair opposite the desk. </p>
<p>  "I don't know what you're planning, but there are other tenants in this building who will hear us should anything happen," it was definitely a threat, though she imagined he'd be long gone by the time they did anything about it. </p>
<p>  "All I want is your compliance. You stop the search, leave all of this behind you, and I'll spare the remaining Blights. They'll live to be old, bitter witches, provided they submit to the Titan when it awakens. You however, will receive more power than you ever thought could exist. To be given power by the Titan, to use in whatever way you deem fit. Aren't you tired of living a life handicapped by witches of old?" he spoke with conviction, but his expression remained stoic. </p>
<p>  Luz didn't want to outright laugh at him, she figured that might spark more than just a negative response, but his request was laughable at best. The Blights and her all knew that it was a lie, but he truly seemed to think she was gullible enough to believe it. She settled for shaking her head before she spoke, fully expecting him to fly off the handle. </p>
<p>  "I'm not doing that, they understand what's going to happen, and so do I. So many will die from this, Belos, don't you see that? This isn't about what's fair, or what happened ages ago, this is genocide if the Titan awakens." Luz felt that she was pleading with a wall, knowing well that he wasn't going to change his mind. But she had to try, she had to give it her all to talk down the cult leader that sat before her. </p>
<p>  "It is a cleansing, the Titan has willed it, therefore I am tasked with bringing its vision to fruition." He moved his hands with exaggerated movements, clearly passionate about his vision. From her perspective, he was nothing more than a deranged lunatic, listening to the will of a higher being that seeks the end of all shared magic. But from his perspective, he was given a purpose, a calling that he felt only he could do. In actuality, anyone could have done what he did, he was likely just an easy, susceptible target. </p>
<p>  "If you won't listen to me, then get out of my office," She pointed towards the door, Frustration seeping into her voice. He smiled at her, placing something on the desk and sliding it over to her. As he removed his hand from on top of the item, she immediately could see that it was another old tome, much like the one she had taken the other day from his house. </p>
<p>  "You are naive, but you are still like me. You are gifted, take this as a token, from one Titan blessed individual to another." The book seemed to be around the same age as the tome she had taken from his manor, but seemed to have considerably less wear than the other. Tentatively, she reached forward and took it, flipping open the front page to see it was in an older version of their English. As she flipped through the pages, it provided details on how to translate the runes of the other book, discerning what the symbols meant. </p>
<p>  "Why are you giving me this? You have to know I'm going to stop you, right?" She sat back in her seat so she could take in his expression, and for once, it turned to a light smile. </p>
<p>  "That is where we differ, Miss Noceda. I do not believe you will, but you do with your entire being. That is what makes us so unique, so divine. Our drive, our passion, our abilities to push forward in the face of adversity. That is what makes us human!" He declared to the sky, as if he had some startling revelation. He stood up from his seat, holding up his hands as he went around the desk with as much space between him and Luz as possible. </p>
<p>  "We're going to find the last heart, it's only a matter of time, now." She turned to look at him as he made his way to the door. He grabbed his staff, making sure not to point it at her. </p>
<p>  "Your only hope though is that the time you do have left is enough. The Titan's time is fast approaching, it waits for no one, Miss Noceda. We will be meeting again, quite soon." And with that, he ducked out the door. She realized how shallow she had been breathing when she finally sucked in a full breath, the situation being a terrifying ordeal with the chance to go south as soon as it had begun. She pulled out her cellphone and immediately called Amity, not wanting to wait another moment. She answered on the second ring, clearly ready for the call. </p>
<p>  "Hey Luz, I'm surprised you're calling me since you're right up the road," she laughed, letting her know it was a joke, but Luz's nervous chuckle immediately let her know that now was not the time for joking. "Did something happen?" Her tone immediately shifted, registering that there was some severity to the situation. </p>
<p>  "Belos was waiting for me in my office," Luz began, a clear gasp coming from the receiver. "He tried to convince me to give up going after him, he said he would leave you all alone." Realistically, Luz knew that she had to kill the last heart and stop Belos, but she'd be lying if she said she didn't consider walking away from it all for Amity's sake. </p>
<p>  "You told him no, right? We're in this to stop him for good, and that means removing all the hearts. We both know he's lying," she was stern, but there was a caring tone behind her voice letting Luz know she had the best of intentions. </p>
<p>  "I told him no, I still don't believe that the Titan is good in anyway. It's just, I got worried for moment when I saw him. I just immediately had flashbacks of two days ago, and it still feels wildly uncomfortable." Luz had gotten up from her desk and retrieved the small book before heading towards the door. She felt she had to be even more cautious with knowing that belos could be right around the corner. </p>
<p>  "Are you going to be okay? Do you need me to come get you?" Amity was quick to react, to come to her friends rescue. Luz felt her face warm at the notion, to have someone care for her with such intensity felt nice. There was a brief pause as Luz thought about it, now reconsidering the coffee from earlier. </p>
<p>  "I think I'll be okay, I'm heading back now, do you want coffee when I stop to get some?" Luz tried her best to sound as okay as possible, and it worked to some degree as Amity responded by saying she didn't. "Do the twins want anything?" Luz followed up, not wanting anyone to feel left out. There was a brief period of silence as she heard Amity ask her siblings the same question, and their delighted responses as they both spouted off an intricate order. </p>
<p>  Somehow, the Blights had become the most normal thing about her life right now, and she wanted to make sure that it stayed that way.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The next chapter may be a bit late as well as Tomorrow is the big day! I'm beyond excited, but the next chapter should include how everything went for anyone interested in the wedding. </p>
<p>As always, thanks for reading and thank you for your kind comments, It means the world to me!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Chapter 28</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Wow I'm back! I wanted to get out a short chapter just to let you all know I should be going back to the regularly scheduled updates, hopefully.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  Luz sat typing away on the keyboard of her phone, attempting to figure out any information she could on 'Grometheus', curled up on the couch. Edric and Emira were discussing something in the kitchen, keeping it intentionally hushed. Amity sat near Luz, finding her attention constantly being averted from her phone to the intense faced woman to her left. </p>
<p>  Luz found nothing much aside from myths and rumors of the being, known by its full title of Grometheus the Fear Bringer. She only hoped it would be something she could face, the thought of something with the title 'Fear Bringer' was enough to unnerve her without much effort. She sighed after more than an hour of searching, finding no leads on where the fabled creature could be. She stood up to stretch and walked to where she had set the original tome from the other day, the one that allowed her to do magic. </p>
<p>  She began comparing the two books, seeing that the one that Belos had given her had some translations for the runes drawn near the symbols. She found it fascinating to see, comparing each rune and learning the language the best she would find herself able to. Sitting back on the couch, she quickly learned a few of the basic words, retrieving a notepad with a pencil and set out to recreate the symbols. </p>
<p>  The first rune she learned was a symbol that was associated with the word 'light', and upon drawing the shapes to match the depiction as best she could, she tapped the sheet and watched as an orb of light drift up from the paper. Amity found herself staring at it, still in awe that her human friend could perform basic magic. Luz squealed in excitement as she cupped her hands around the light to pull it closer, examining it despite its attempt at blinding her. </p>
<p>  "That's incredible, how did you know that that was a light spell?" Amity inquired, peering closer at the books to see something that she might otherwise be unable to. The runes were indecipherable to her, seeming far older than anything she had ever had to learn. She returned to looking at the light, baffled that a symbol and a few runes were able to create such clear magic. </p>
<p>  "I just copied a couple of runes, they're actually not as hard as they look to figure out. I can't believe that humans used to be able to do magic like this, like, all humans! It's so cool, but I can't imagine that it would turn out very well nowadays." Luz thought about all the war and violence perpetuated by human leaders, and realized that if magic were still accessible to them, it would probably only serve to make things much worse. Maybe that was the reasoning for taking their magic? </p>
<p>  "Well you seem to have a natural talent for it, though I am still leery about why he would have given you that book if he knew you'd learn magic," Amity was looking at the book of translations, contemplation apparent on her face as she gave it more and more thought. </p>
<p>  "He wants me to sympathize with him, to understand what was taken from us. But he's just so blinded that the rest of the details don't matter anymore," Luz leaned back into the couch, taking a deep breath as she closed her eyes. They were meeting Gus soon, hopefully to get the story out and make people aware of the possible impending doom that loomed just on the horizon. </p>
<p>  "Well, in some way, I can understand it, you know? Not the killing part obviously, but the desire to reclaim what once was rightfully yours. I wouldn't blame you for wanting that, especially since you've found you can already perform some magic." Amity picked up the original book with the symbols, being careful not to touch the runes so as not to trigger them. She flipped through the old tome, feeling the texture of the pages between her fingers, noticing they felt nothing like paper. </p>
<p>  "Oh and I for sure want to learn magic! Imagine, me, Luz Noceda, magical human PI! It sounds like a fantasy book!" She excitedly threw her arms out, a grand display of her even more grand idea. The notion seemed to bring a wide grin to her face, leaving Amity to laugh as she closed the book in her hands. She listened to Luz talk on and on about the premise of her would be story, detailing every bit of outrageous magic she'd be capable of doing. She stopped before delving too far into her premise, her mind seemingly returning to the previous conversation. </p>
<p>  "But still, I can't help but think there's a reason Witches sealed our magic, right? Why else would they have?" Luz sat thinking about the idea for a bit before the sound of the twins reentering caught her attention. They stood behind the couch, Edric leaning down to place his arms on the back of it. </p>
<p>  "Well, everything is taken care of, the funeral is in two days. This has been one hell of a morning, huh?" He slowly sank his body onto the back of the couch, letting gravity take him until his upper body was firmly planted against the cushions with his legs sticking straight up in the air. Amity rolled her eyes, but Luz seemed to be amused by the display enough that it brought a smile to her face. </p>
<p>  "Okay, thank you both for setting everything up, after these past couple of days, I don't think I could have kept it together trying to do all of that." Amity leaned against the arm of the couch as she watched her brother slowly ooze onto the floor. It was strange for her to see his and Emira's personalities sync up at times, because they are still uniquely their own person. </p>
<p>  We didn't want you to have to worry about it anyway, you've already had enough to worry about. Speaking of, are you any closer to finding the last heart?" Emira put a hand on her hip, watching as Luz deflated in her seat. </p>
<p>  "No, try as I might, I can't find anything about Grometheus. I don't even know if its real, but that's the only lead I have right now." She stood up and paced around the room, trying to force her brain to have some semblance of an answer so she had something to go off of. Edric looked up from his spot on the floor, a twinkling in his eye that meant he'd either be saying something profound, or profoundly dumb. </p>
<p>  "Like, the Fear Bringer Grometheus?" He watched as she turned to him and nodded, confirming his thoughts. He shot up from the ground, on his feet once more in an instant. "I can actually help with this! Back when I was in college, Emira and I went to Hexside, and we did quite a bit of partying. Well, me being the suave, charismatic, charming, delightful, smooth, roman-" </p>
<p>  "Enough already!" Emira and Amity said through exasperation. He simply shrugged before deciding that he would continue. </p>
<p>  "Through my partying, I managed to get Dean Bump drunk once, and he told us that there's something below Hexside, he didn't say what, but he did say it was old, like, old old. I can't say for sure if it's Grometheus, but Bump did say whatever it is wanders through tunnels underneath the college. It could be worth a shot, and I'm sure he wouldn't mind you taking a tour!" He was beaming with pride, Emira was the one who had found the information on Blight Industries, so now it was his turn to help where he could. </p>
<p>  Luz looked ecstatic, everything seemed to be falling into place, which meant that by all accounts, her case should be coming to an end soon. One more heart, which means one more horror to go through before this nightmare is over. For now though, she needs to focus on what's in front of her. </p>
<p>  "That's perfect! We can investigate that as soon as we're done talking with Gus!" She was not afraid to show her excitement, and the weight of the last few days seemed to lift a bit from her shoulders. "Which, by the way, we should probably head out to meet him. He sent me the address of the place he wants us to meet him at, and I didn't even know this place existed!" Amity watched her friend's animated movements, finding comfort in her happiness as it has been rough for all of them. She stood up from the couch, grabbing her keys from the table before heading towards the back door. </p>
<p>  "Man, I can't wait till we can go back out, I miss socializing!" Emira quickly took Amity's spot, slumping into the seat dramatically. Her sister simply gave her a tired look, clearly understanding her concern. </p>
<p>  "Hopefully just another few days at most, we just need to make sure they can't get their power back after we take out the last heart. I wonder if we'll get a medal or something when we finish! That would be really cool," Luz seemed to be giddy at the idea of recognition, walking to join Amity as they both stepped through to the kitchen and out the back door. </p>
<p>  They piled into the car, taking a brief moment to chat before Amity pulled away. Luz cranked up the volume on another Good Witch Azura song, doing her best to keep her friend occupied and her mind off of the thoughts of the upcoming days. The results were instant, as a smile was plastered on her face before the first chorus cut in. </p>
<p>  "I was blinded by time's sweet embrace, only left with the thought of your face. Tell me you are here to stay with me, so we will know just how to be free!" They belted out, doing their best to harmonize with each other. The look of joy on Amity's face let Luz know that the worries and fears she had were not present in her mind at the moment. </p>
<p>  They drove for a solid fifteen minutes until they got to a small restaurant, seemingly a little more upscale than Matt's Diner. As they parked, Luz took notice that Gus was waiting outside his car, his phone in his hand to keep himself distracted. They exited the car, the sound of the doors shutting catching his attention as he turned to them. </p>
<p>  "Hey! I'm glad you actually came! Most people don't like being questioned, not that it's weird or anything!" His words sounded rushed as he seemingly tried to stay calm and collected. </p>
<p>  "Anything to bring all of this to light, this week has been wild!" Luz laughed, breaking the tension he felt as they watched his body relax. "So what is this place anyway? I have definitely never been here." She said as she got a good look at the front. There was a large owl on the front of the main door, giving it a strange, almost otherworldly feel. </p>
<p>  "This is a little place I like to go after work because they've got some interesting food choices. It's called The Owl House!"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So to anyone who asked about the wedding, it was phenomenal! I'm married now, how crazy is that? Everything surprisingly went well which is incredible based on my record of bad luck. The venue looked amazing, we looked amazing, and the main gift of the night was that our honeymoon is planned out so we don't have to worry about anything aside from lodging while driving to and from! </p>
<p>Thank you all for showing interest not only in my story, but in the wedding, I really appreciate how kind everyone has been and I want you all to know that you all are appreciated!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Chapter 29</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm a little late again but in my defense, I have been feeling under the weather after getting my second dose of the Covid vaccine.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  Luz stared around at the dimly lit restaurant, and though it wasn't anything upscale, it still had a reserved feel to it. The interior was unlike anything she'd ever seen, a combination of old and cluttered, with a modern feel that she couldn't quite put her finger on. It was appalling to look at, truly a marvel that this place even existed. Still, she loved it. It screamed eccentricity, and she felt a weird sense of belonging as they all sat in a strange three person booth. </p>
<p>  Examining the menu, she found that the weirdness was further amplified by the strange food combinations. Sweet and savory where it wouldn't normally belong, confusing combinations of textures, everything seemed out of place, yet in its own way, it was perfect. They were so engrossed in the menu they didn't hear the waiter approach their table, taking his time to make his presence known. </p>
<p>  "Good afternoon Gus, it's good to see you again. And I see you've brought friends this time, how lovely," the man's voice was smooth, and upon looking up, Luz found that the voice matched the face. His hair was a ruffled mess, chocolate brown with strangely avian eyes. His features were sharp, but framed his face so well it was hard for her to tell at first glance that he was neither human nor witch. </p>
<p>  "Owlbert! It's good to see you again! How's Hooty?" He engaged in the conversation as if he spoke to an old friend, and the look that Amity and Luz shared asked the same question of how many times he had been there. Owlbert seemed to smile, a warm look for his face that seemed to hold no ill intent. He genuinely appeared to be happy to be there which was a step up already from Matt's. </p>
<p>  "He's well, though between you and me, if you plan to have any time at all to talk to your guests, I'll forego letting him know that you're here." His smile was infectious, as Luz found herself with no knowledge of this 'Hooty', but still found herself smiling at the interaction. His voice was calm, and it was clear that he made friends with customers quite easily. </p>
<p>  "Yeah, that's true," he leaned in closer to the two women across from him. "Hooty can literally talk for hours and you'll walk away having learned nothing from it." He returned to his normal position so as not to leave Owlbert out of the conversation. </p>
<p>  "Hooty is an anomaly, that's all I'll say about him. Now what can I get started for you?" He slipped back into his professional demeanor, taking their order after they had had a moment to look at the menu. Neither of the women felt comfortable with the choice they made, but Owlbert assured them that both options were excellent. Luz looked around the restaurant and noticed there were very few people dining at the moment. Maybe it was because it was so early? </p>
<p>  Owlbert walked off after getting every detail correct for their order, sauntering to a spot behind the counter to punch in the details into a computer. They turned their attention back to Gus who had pulled out a notebook and a pen, flipping it open about halfway before setting it down. He clicked the pen a few times, looking up to meet their eyes, visible excitement on his face. </p>
<p>  "Okay, first of all, wow, how awesome is this?" He spoke with a tone that Luz usually reserved for new Good Witch Azura albums when they release. "So, let's start from the beginning," he pulled out a digital recorder, pressing play on it to make sure everything was captured. Luz began to recall the events over the past few days to him, leaving a few details out such as her involvement at the police station. </p>
<p>  He would frequently stop to ask for more information, to ask her how she felt about a situation, and to ask if Amity played any roll in the events that Luz was describing. He was precise, knowing exactly when to pry for further information and when to leave a topic where it was. "This is incredible, hidden chambers under the earth that housed giant hearts, all connected to the Titan! What was it like when you first witnessed one?" He seemed elated to hear about this, mainly he didn't know the entire situation as she hadn't gotten to that point yet. </p>
<p>  "Well, terrifying. They were absolutely massive like the one you saw, and they all share a strange, psychic link. They tried to brainwash me, and actually did end up influencing Amity, which was rather weird. We haven't figured out what exactly allows someone to be hypnotized yet, but whatever it is, it's tried it on all who were present." He was jotting down note after note, the words seeming mostly illegible to anyone but him. </p>
<p>  "Fascinating, so it's as if each heart is independent, that's why you need to kill all of them!" He declared a little too loudly, drawing the eyes of an older couple a few booths away. Their look wasn't a knowing one, more so of irritation at the younger generation currently shouting in their vicinity. He seemed to shrink a bit into himself when he realized he may have been a bit too loud, but neither Luz nor Amity seemed affected by the outburst. </p>
<p>  "Yeah, it's been crazy trying to find everything, traumatizing even. Certainly not what you'd expect from your first case!" Luz laughed, unknowing that Amity gazed at her from the spot next to her. The way the low light framed her face, the way her eyes twinkled after she laughed, it made it hard to look away. </p>
<p>  "I imagine, and on top of that, your second case being a subplot to the first one. What a cosmic twist!" He had turned his attention to Amity who forced herself to look away from her friend. She smiled awkwardly at him, unknowing of how to respond to the statement appropriately. </p>
<p>  "Yeah, it's kind of crazy! I didn't even know who to call after I spoke with the police, and it just happened that Boscha's parents had a newspaper lying on their kitchen counter with her ad on display. It really did feel like some sort of fate," she looked down at her own hands, wondering if she was destined to meet Luz or if it really was just a strange series of coincidences. She looked back over at the woman next to her, only to find her already staring back at her. Luz quickly darted her head back to facing Gus, smiling awkwardly at him. He was oblivious to the interaction, thankfully. </p>
<p>  "It is crazy, and it's sensational! People will hear this story and it'll sing to them, you'll be heroes!" He made animated gestures as he talked, but Luz's face immediately dropped to a mixture of fear and worry. That would make her and the Blights targets for anyone who sided with Belos, even after his plan has been stopped. </p>
<p>  "Maybe we should omit names or something? Just, you know, for safety reasons?" Her voice tumbled over itself to get the words out before Gus's excitement had ramped onto one track. He seemed to stop himself, giving the notion more weight in his mind. </p>
<p>  "You're right, we don't know what the rest of his crazy cult is capable of. Or how many there even are for that matter! You raise some pretty good points, you should be a PI or something!" He laughed at his own joke, and while it did earn a chuckle from Luz, Amity's attention was elsewhere. She was staring off through a window that led into the kitchen at a slight commotion happening just out of view. </p>
<p>  Owlbert exited the kitchen, a tray of drinks in his right hand as he headed towards their table. "I apologize for the disturbance from the kitchen. Hooty is having a moment," he seemed to notice Amity's interest, glancing at her as he set their drinks in front of them. </p>
<p>  "O-oh, it's no trouble," she managed to stutter out in response, quickly pulling her drink closer to take a long sip from her straw. He smirked as if he'd pulled some grand prank and turned to walk away, advising that their food would be out shortly. </p>
<p>  "Okay, so we omit names, and certain details like the kidnapping and involvement of Hexside. That way it ensures your anonymity, we get the word out, and the story goes viral!" He still seemed far more elated than one should be regarding the situation, especially considering he was literally about to be killed yesterday. </p>
<p>  "That sounds like a plan! Any tips we can get to where he's hiding and whatnot will be helpful. Even if he doesn't have magic, he's still a wildly dangerous man, and anyone who blindly follows him rather than the heart may be just as dangerous." Luz downed half of her drink in one go, relaxing back into the seat after setting it back down. "Hey, do you know anything about Grometheus The Fear Bringer?" She figured she might as well try to get as much information as possible before heading into a battle unprepared. His eyes lit up once again as he bounced in his seat. </p>
<p>  "Do I ever! I wrote so many reports and theories on it during my time in college, I thought I'd go into studies of the supernatural. Most of the hidden tunnels that connect underneath the school were dug by me." Amity seemed to show some level of concern at the idea of one person attempting to find an ancient being with the name 'The Fead Bringer'. He pulled out a notebook from his bag and slid it over to them. There was an illustration of him on the cover fighting a massive black blob with a sword. </p>
<p>  "Is this supposed to be Grometheus?" Amity asked as she pointed to the vague shape. He squinted his eyes at her, searching his mind for some sort of witty retort. When he came back with nothing, his expression shifted, becoming careless and unphased. </p>
<p>  "No one actually knows what it looks like, since no one has ever seen it and lived to tell about it. I just imagined a being that was called Fear Bringer to be amorphous, so it could turn into the fears of the victim it descends upon." Luz watched him speak, finding that his words actually made sense. A shape-shifting being would make the most sense, in theory at least. </p>
<p>  "So if no one has ever seen it and lived, how do people know it actually exists?" Luz remarked as she shifted in her seat, finding the comfort of the booth to be waning fast. He simply tapped a finger to the notebook and, taking the hint, she opened it up. Immediately, history was given on it from Gus's interpretation. </p>
<p>  In the days of Wild Witches, humans released Grometheus from his prison to combat the witches. It had catastrophic effects for both sides as it was an uncontrollable menace, causing far too many casualties to count. Ultimately, a group of powerful witches sealed it back underneath what is now Hexside, and none have seen it since, at least, as he already mentioned, none who have lived to tell about it. </p>
<p>  "Okay, so this thing is powerful, and uncontrollable. How are we supposed to face off against this?" Amity felt helpless, sure they had gone against some pretty menacing things by now, but a horror that's older than most wild witches? That sounded terrifying on the best of days. The sound of plates caught their attention as Owlbert approached, their food in view. </p>
<p>  He sat down their orders in front of them, being sure that each one looked presentable and up to his apparent standards. "You know, if you're going to fight an age old horror such as Grom, a little advice. Everything is vulnerable from within." He gave them all an odd wink and walked off into the kitchen, the sound of him and Hooty talking sounded like a distant whisper. </p>
<p>  "That was oddly cryptic, but he has a point! What if we had someway of destroying it from within?" Luz spoke up, a fork full of her lunch in her hand. Amity seemed to ponder the idea, giving it the deserved attention it required. </p>
<p>  "Maybe we could use some of your symbols from that book, that way we can activate them and toss them?" Amity covered her mouth despite being done chewing long before she began the sentence. An act of courtesy, but seemingly one that Luz really didn't think necessary. </p>
<p>  "That's a great idea! You're a genius!" She declared, her wide grin bringing a light blush to Amity's face. The trio sat in relative silence as they ate, the thought that this might be feasible dancing through Luz's mind. She needed to call Eda after this and tell her that she had a plan. </p>
<p>  With the help of her friends, she would put a stop to two ancient horrors.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The idea for Owlbert is loosely based off of @Konoe_Piru's design, just obviously appearing older. Please check them out if you don't already follow them, they're a fantastic artist! </p>
<p>As always, thanks so much for reading, we're almost at chapter 30, and things are going to begin ramping up soon!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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